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.
Brad was in treatment for 4 years. He was just two years old when he was diagnosed. His family had moved from Penticton, BC, a few months earlier and his aunts had come to visit. They noticed Brad seemed pale and unhealthy, one aunt, a nurse, recommended that Brad get checked out. A lot of tests suggested multiple diagnoses, one could be leukemia. Brad’s Mom was up all night researching the signs and symptoms. When Brad mentioned the next day that his knees hurt and his legs were tired, his Mom knew before the diagnosis was official.
Brad started treatment (chemo), and Childcan immediately offered support. Brad’s Mom still remembers how the parking pass was the biggest help. Brad remembers the pokes, needles, and blood tests. He now remembers the nurses much more fondly. “They helped me maintain my dignity and my ability to just be a kid, despite going through things a kid should never have to.” Brad also remembers hiding behind the curtains from Dr. C. Of course, Batman would be invisible…!
Integrating into senior kindergarten was an adjustment. Brad had felt normal in hospital, his family was always there, Dad sleeping in a chair even though he was working shifts. At school, he was self-conscious and probably wished he could have been invisible, especially after he broke his ankle skating and had to be in a wheelchair. Brad’s bones had been weakened from the treatment.
It was Childcan who opened the door to Camp Trillium (now Campfire Circle). “I remember going to their Polar Bear Dip in the mornings and noticing that everyone had a scar from their port – just like me. I have such fond memories of those camps. My brother and sister even became camp counsellors there so the whole family got involved.” Childcan’s Holiday Parties were another place of normalcy and fun for the whole family.
After grade two, Brad began to lose his identity as the sick kid, and began to focus on sports, music, and more fun things. Checkups at the hospital continued. Brad’s parents biting their nails at the appointments, making a fun routine by going to Burger King to celebrate afterwards. “The salt on my fries was the least of their concerns.”
It was at one of those after-care appointments where Brad was asked what his plans were for further education. “I wasn’t sure what to do. Sports and music were my main interests then. I wasn’t sure which of my interests I wanted to pursue. Focusing on school was not always my priority. My teenage years were particularly difficult. It was challenging to integrate my childhood experiences. I’m so grateful to my family for keeping me grounded in this time”. During this aftercare appointment, one of the hospital social workers mentioned that Childcan offered bursaries. “At the time, I didn’t think that University was an option. I hadn’t really thought much about pursuing an undergraduate degree. Childcan’s scholarship opened the door for me, validating that there was a path there for me.”
Brad was thrilled to get the scholarship. He worked hard, and after achieving some success in his course work, he felt more and more invested in academics as a realistic pathway for him. “Sometimes, I felt that I was drawing on the determination I used to get through chemo many years earlier - that my struggles then gave me persistence to just keep going when things got hard.”
With a Bachelor’s degree in his pocket, Brad had the grades and experience to pursue a Masters, then a Ph.D. For a long time, he did not share that he was a childhood cancer survivor, but now, in his work as a child psychologist, he often finds himself tapping into his childhood experiences being supported by various health care professionals. “It’s a privilege to walk alongside children, adolescents, and families managing difficult times in their lives.”
Brad continues to process his childhood experience. “My story is still heavy and difficult to talk about, even with my family. I feel like there are layers to such early experiences that take a lifetime to peel back. I can’t imagine what my parents went through, and I know it affected my siblings too. I’m so grateful to those who have impacted my life and wanted to share my story now to let those who infused me with hope, reassurance, and positivity know that their investment in me paid off.”
Thank you, Brad, for sharing your story and inspiring hope for others. We hope that lots of Childcan kids will follow in your footsteps and achieve their post-secondary educational dreams.