A toddler struggling to survive after the earthquake and tsunami in Japan knocked out the reliable electricity needed to power his life-saving suction machine has secured passage home.

Two-and-a-half-year old Maleek Cavanagh's mother says after a week of frantically trying to arrange passage out of Japan, she's finally succeeded.

"We have now confirmed a flight with medical clearance for my two sons and my husband and I, but it's not until Sunday," Maired Cavanagh said in a telephone interview from Tokyo on Friday.

In the context of her desperate week-long struggle to get her family out of Japan, Cavanagh said she's pleased to be getting out, but is not relishing the wait until their flight leaves.

"Basically we're just sitting here and there's nothing else we can do," she told CTV News Channel on Friday. "It doesn't sound like a lot, but in this situation it feels like an eternity."

Maleek was born with a condition called subglottic stenosis. As a result, he has a tracheostomy that requires clearing several times an hour with a suction pump that runs on AC power. Given the rolling blackouts across the disaster-stricken area, Cavanagh said she's spent this past week has been wracked with concern.

"My son relies on power to be able to breathe, basically," Cavanagh said, explaining the impetus behind her rush to leave the country.

"That was the pivot for us, for sure."

Cavanagh says besides worrying about the health of her eldest boy, she's spent the past week navigating a tangle of red tape that included securing visas for her Ugandan-born husband and 7-month old son.

Even though a flight to Canada is now in her sights, Cavanagh said her worries aren't over.

"As of tonight we could not actually completely confirm my sons will be offered Ontario health care should we actually even get to Toronto," Cavanagh said, explaining she's unsure of the status of an offer to waive the typical three-month waiting period.

"Even if we can get out of here, what are we going to if we don't even have guaranteed health care at this point?"

The family has set up a Facebook page where supporters can donate toys, clothing and housewares to replace the belongings the family had to abandon when they fled Mito, about 100 kilometres northeast of Tokyo.