Willow and Lyle's story

"It's incredible to see how far we've all come." 

At just three weeks old, baby Lyle was airlifted from the Saint John Regional Hospital to IWK Health in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Diagnosed with pyloric stenosis, he required immediate surgery to fix a muscle valve, which had been blocking his ability to receive nutrients at this vital stage of life. 

"We quickly learned how helpful Fuel the Care is for families facing situations like ours," says his mother Dyllan, who started making the nearly four-hour drive from her home in Belleisle, New Brunswick, to Halifax, NS. 

Now in its 24th year, Irving Oil's Fuel the Care program has provided more than $7 million in fuel gift cards to families traveling to receive medical care for their child. 

Nearly three years later, Dyllan was preparing to welcome her second child when she unexpectedly required an emergency C-section. Her daughter, Willow, was born at just 25 weeks and spent months receiving specialized care. 

"When the long drives returned, we already knew that Irving Oil's program would help lift that weight off our shoulders." 

As Willow's appointments continued, their family made frequent 45-minute trips to Saint John as well as the familiar commute to IWK for treatment. 

"It was home, daycare drop-off, hospital, pickup and do it all again the next day, while pretending everything was as normal as possible," Dyllan says. 

Today, Lyle and Willow are happy, healthy and full of energy. 

"Both of my children are forces to be reckoned with," says Dyllan. 

Thanks to the support of our customers, together, we’ve been able to support more than 120,000 families across Eastern Canada, New England and Ireland. 

By fueling up at Irving Oil, you support Fuel the Care, helping families like Willow and Lyle's, so they can focus on what matters most during a child's medical journey. 

Thank you for making a difference.