Some stories are etched in your heart long after you hear them. Stories of courage, love, and a kind of hope that refuses to fade, even in the face of heartbreak. This is one of those stories where sorrow is transformed into something extraordinary.  

It’s the story of a little girl named Tara “Boom” Houston. A bright, vibrant seven-year-old who adored her family, friends, and horses more than anything else in the world. It’s a story that begins with laughter and ends with lasting light and though we wish we could rewrite the middle, what remains is a legacy that continues to bring hope to countless others.

It was the summer of 2020 and Ethan’s family was filled with excitement and, of course, mixed with a few nerves, as Ethan prepared to start Junior Kindergarten. But in mid-August, their world was turned upside down. At the age of 4, Ethan was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. The carefree summer days they had imagined were suddenly replaced with hospital stays, appointments, and many procedures for Ethan.

Ashton was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma on his 17th Birthday. The next day he was in surgery, having his port fitted, and started chemotherapy the day after that. Ashton spent the next 8 months in hospital except for 4 days a month at home. During part of that time, Ashton had his leg amputated through the knee. 30 rounds of chemotherapy later, in April 2022, Ashton stood up smiling to ring the gong. He was cancer free.

My name is Justin Jewell. I am 20 years old, from Belle River, ON.  I am an AML survivor of three years and a stem cell recipient. I am a musician and music has been my life-long passion. I was given my first guitar at the age of four and carried it with me everywhere I went. Growing up I would entertain my family and friends, and when I was old enough, I started making a name for myself in the local Windsor music scene.

On June 8, 2021, we took Micah to the Emergency Room in Strathroy with vomiting and headaches. We were sent to the Children’s Hospital in London immediately, where Micah was diagnosed with a brain tumour. Micah was admitted that day and the plan for surgery was put into action immediately.  

Hello, my name is Sara and I am 19 years old. This is my story.

When I was three years old, I was diagnosed with a metastasized pineoblastoma, which is a rare type of brain tumour. My parents were heartbroken because the doctors didn’t think I would survive. I had emergency brain surgery in London. Then I was transferred to SickKids in Toronto for further brain surgery and I was enrolled in a research study for treatment.

Gold. For those affected by childhood cancer, the colour has significance. For James, who just returned from the 2024 World Para Ice Hockey Championship with a gold medal for Team Canada, it has an extra-special meaning, given his journey to get there.

Nick was just 17, a tall and vibrant 6’ 2”. He was healthy, happy, school wasn’t his thing but that didn’t matter – he had a great sense of humour, tons of friends, and a passion for standing up for the disadvantaged. Nick was not only well-read but also a talented musician with a zest for life.

The summer of 2016 started normal. I was 5 years old, and I enjoyed playing outside, swimming, hanging out with my cousins, and soccer, as a normal 5-year-old would. I remember having family pictures with my whole extended family on my mom’s side. The weather was beautiful, the sun shining bright at Waterworks Park in St. Thomas.

A picture of Batman hangs proudly on Brad’s office wall. It’s not just any picture of Batman, it’s him as a young child, dressed in full Batman costume, mask and all. It was Brad’s preferred outfit at any time, especially at the hospital. Brad remembers wearing that costume nearly the whole time he was in treatment.

Everything has a silver lining. It’s all about how you look at things.

“Finger pricks meant I could add to my finger puppet collection. Hospital visits meant playtime and art therapy. Losing my hair meant choosing a wig - having had short brown hair, I wanted to try something different, like long blonde Rapunzel hair, but relented, taking my dad’s advice, I went with a more natural look so people would still recognize me.”

Luke was a happy one year old when he started showing signs of joint pains, stiff arms and legs. He was in and out of the emergency room for months. It was at one of those visits, not long after Luke’s second birthday, when everything suddenly changed. The doctors decided to send Luke to London Children’s Hospital for further tests. Dad and son were airlifted from Thunder Bay, with Mom following a few days later. Luke’s 4 year-old-sister Petra stayed with her grandparents.

In London, Luke was subjected to a series of tests. He saw many doctors, including a neurologist and a rheumatologist for suspected arthritis. It was the haematologist who found the problem, hiding in Luke’s bones. High-risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

How to entertain your child while they are in a hospital bed wasn’t a question that Tracy had ever asked herself. Why would she? Dracen was always healthy…

In mid-August 2022 Dracen started throwing up in the morning. They took him to the doctors, and despite multiple tests, nothing was found. After a trip to the Emergency Room they were sent home with laxatives and anti-nausea medication. Nothing changed. Dracen was still vomiting 18-20 times per day.

After three weeks, spent in Windsor hospital as Dracen was so sick, Tracy called the patient advocate and pushed for an MRI…which found a tumour on Dracen’s brainstem. The family immediately drove to London to meet with the brain surgeon who had to get as much as possible of the tumour out, or risk it growing back. Pathology determined that it was a posterior fossa ependymoma.

My name is Kaitlyn and I am a three-time childhood cancer survivor and now paediatric oncology nurse. Here is my story:

In December of 1998, my parents say I had complained about a sore stomach. At the time they were potty training me and also thought the tummy pains could be a result of me racing down the stairs on my stomach at Oma & Opa’s with my younger sister.

Shortly after a trip to the emergency department, I was diagnosed with stage 4 Wilms tumour, a rare childhood cancer affecting the kidney. I had my left kidney removed and a kinked bowel repaired before receiving the first round of chemo on Christmas Day. After numerous rounds of chemo I started radiation in July 1999. On March 31, 2000, I finished chemo forever! Or so we thought.

Dominic was born on January 1, 2023, as Owen Sound hospital’s New Year’s baby. A first son for Ryan and Katt and baby brother to 3-year-old sister Blake.

For the first few months of his life, Dominic met his milestones, took his place in the busy household, and captured the hearts of friends and family. Around the third month it was noticed that Dominic’s one leg had grown significantly larger than the other and he was sent to London for genetic testing as his doctor queried Beckwith-Wiedermann syndrome (BWS). BWS comes with a risk of tumour growth, so he would be followed and monitored through his childhood. (As it turns out, the genetic testing would show that Dominic was negative for this syndrome).

In June 2012, young six-year-old Michael was diagnosed with T Cell ALL leukemia and relapsed in 2014 at the age of eight. During Michael’s relapse, his family was notified that he would need a bone marrow transplant to prevent the cancer from returning again. Finding a donor was not going to be easy, and they went on a global search. Each member of Michael’s family was tested to see if they could be an eligible match. After many prayers, they discovered that Michael’s older brother Sam was a perfect match. That was truly a miracle in the family’s life. The bone marrow match was successful and has been cancer free for nine years. During this time the family relied on faith, community, and Childcan.

ON FEBRUARY 25, 2020, only 6 days shy of her first birthday, my baby girl Claire Bear was rushed to the hospital after an urgent phone call from our family doctor. I remember that day vividly. I see it play back in my mind as if I were standing in the corner of the room. I heard words but could not process them, while I stood there holding Claire, as if putting her down somehow meant I would never be able to pick her up again. The doctor said words like blast cells, oncology, hematology, bone marrow, transfer, and critical. Then, almost as if the world stopped, she said the words no parents ever want to hear, “we think your child has cancer, I’m so sorry.” In that instant our lives changed forever. We were transferred to Children’s Hospital at London Health Sciences Centre and admitted that night. How we made it through that night of waiting and worrying remains a mystery to me.

Being 4 years old should be fun. Playing and games should be the norm, not doctors visits and hospitals.

It wasn’t long after Matteo’s 4th birthday that he started getting sick. Very sick.

His Mom knew something was wrong, but doctors, pediatricians, nor the hospital could find anything wrong. His belly still hurt. An ultrasound was done and he was sent home from the hospital. They were back the next day as he was dehydrated. IVs. More tests. Multiple phone calls to multiple doctors. Stomach aches, crying, puking, no sleep. X-rays, bloodwork, urgent care visits both in Chatham and London.

Finally, one doctor said: “These could be signs and symptoms of a brain tumour.”

In the spring of 2021, our eight-year-old son, Benjamin, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. He was immediately admitted to London Childrens Hospital for treatment at the height of the Covid pandemic and our lives were turned upside down. We had three other children at home and I had no idea how our family was going to make it through this.

On the third day of our hospital stay Renee walked into Ben's hospital room and introduced herself. She was soft spoken, gentle, and had the kindest eyes that showed such understanding and compassion for our pain. She told me that she was the mom of a childhood cancer survivor and handed me a bag. Little did I know at the time that bag was the beginning of Childcan's pivotal role in our lives. The bag contained a handmade quilt, hospital parking pass, gas and grocery gift cards, activities for Ben, hospital meal vouchers, and information about Childcan.