Hudson and Hunter's story

Megan Lynch describes her sons Hudson and Hunter as her miracle boys.

Although she expected an induced labour when she arrived at hospital in May 2025 to give birth to Hudson, doctors noticed something amiss and prepped her for an emergency C-section. Moments after birth, Hudson was airlifted from Grand Falls-Windsor, Newfoundland and Labrador, to the Janeway Children's Health and Rehabilitation Centre in St. John's – a five-hour journey by car that would become a familiar trek for the family.

Diagnosed with Down syndrome, Hudson eventually required open-heart surgery. As the family prepared for his surgery, another unimaginable challenge struck: his older brother Hunter suffered life-threatening injuries in a dirt bike accident.

"Our world just got tipped upside down," Megan recalls. "I remember sitting by his bed begging Hunter not to leave me."

In October 2025, both of Megan's children were hospitalized on the same floor at the Janeway. While Hunter fought for his life, Hudson was experiencing heart failure. A single mother of four, Megan was left to face countless trips to St. John's while trying to support her family through two medical crises.

"Fuel the Care was such a huge relief. It took an incredible burden off my shoulders,” Megan says.

Since 2002, Irving Oil’s Fuel the Care program has provided fuel gift cards to more than 120,000 families in Eastern Canada, New England and Ireland who require travel for their children's medical care.

Initially, there wasn’t much hope for Hunter, his mother says. Six months later, he was walking, talking and feeding himself.

“He was a miracle. He’s amazing, he’s a fighter, just like his brother.”

With follow-up appointments and continued travel ahead, Megan remains grateful for the support her family continues to receive. By fueling up at Irving Oil, you support Fuel the Care, helping families like Hudson and Hunter's, so they can focus on what matters most during a child's medical journey.

Thank you for making a difference.