The Story of Kyus Caines and Our Mission

Where Kyus’ Compass Began

Kyus’ Compass was born from love, loss, and the incredible power of a community coming together when a family needed it most. My name is Norman Andrade and Kyus was my nephew and the firstborn son of my sister, Dulce Andrade. On August 12, 2009, what began as a beautiful summer afternoon at Centennial Park in Brampton became a moment that would forever change our family. My sister, her two boys, Kyus and Jake, and a friend and her children had gone to the park to spend the afternoon together. As dark clouds began to roll in, they decided it was time to pack up and leave. While crossing the soccer field, lightning struck a nearby tennis court fence. The electrical current travelled through the ground and made contact with the metal scooter Kyus was carrying.

The lightning struck Kyus, my sister, and another young boy who was with them. All three were knocked to the ground. Witnesses immediately rushed to help, performing CPR while 911 was called. Emergency responders arrived and the three were taken for medical care. Sadly, Kyus suffered the greatest impact.

After fighting for his life, Kyus passed away at SickKids Hospital in Toronto on August 21, 2009. Our family was devastated. The loss of Kyus affected not only our family, but our entire community. His story was shared across Canada and beyond, with news organizations reporting on what had happened. But alongside the heartbreak, something else happened that we will never forget.

People showed up.

While my sister and brother-in-law spent their days by Kyus' side, they were unable to work. They still had another child, Jake, to care for, bills to pay, food to put on the table, and the enormous cost of travelling back and forth between Brampton and Toronto. The community stepped in. People donated thousands of dollars to help our family with food, bills, fuel for the trips to Toronto, and other necessities. The generosity was so incredible that it also helped cover the cost of Kyus' funeral. At a time when our family felt completely lost, people helped guide us through the storm.

Why Kyus' Compass Exists

For many years, I carried the idea of creating something in Kyus' memory. I kept thinking about the families who find themselves in the same position my family once faced, sitting beside a sick or critically ill child in a hospital, wanting nothing more than to be there for them, while worrying about how they're going to pay the bills, get to the hospital, find somewhere to stay, or put food on the table.

A parent's focus should be on their child, not on whether they can afford to be there and that's why I created Kyus' Compass. My goal is to help families navigate some of the financial and emotional challenges that can come with having a child in the hospital. We want to help with necessities such as transportation, fuel, accommodations, food, and other essential needs when families are facing difficult circumstances. But our mission goes beyond financial assistance. Sometimes families don't know where to turn. Sometimes they're overwhelmed and aren't thinking clearly because they're simply trying to get through the next hour, the next day, or the next hospital visit. We want to be there for those families.

Why the Name Kyus' Compass?

A compass helps us find our direction when we don't know where we're going. When families are facing a storm, they can feel lost, overwhelmed, and completely unsure of what comes next, Kyus' Compass is here to help them find their way. Kyus' memory is the heart behind everything we hope to accomplish. Through this organization, I want to take the kindness that our family received in one of the darkest moments of our lives and pass it forward to families who need it today. Because sometimes, when a family is lost in the storm, all they need is a little direction and someone willing to walk beside them.

Norman Andrade
Founder and Executive Director.