October 27th, 2020 was supposed to be a day of celebration. Laura’s older brother, Phillip, was turning six. The cake was decorated and tacos - a favourite of both the kids - were on the menu. Instead, October 27, 2020 was the day that Laura was diagnosed with PH+ ALL - Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia - at just two years old. From that day on, the family knew their lives would never be the same.
Rewind to two weeks earlier… Laura’s parents were noticing that her mood was off and she had trouble walking down the stairs. After a couple of sleepless nights, they decided to visit her paediatrician.
“We suspected something was wrong, but Leukemia was not even a thought,” recalls Laura’s mom. “The blood test results confirmed that Laura was sick and she needed to get to London to start her treatments right away. Words can’t describe how difficult that day became.”
COVID-19 protocol did not allow more than one parent to enter the hospital, so Phillip celebrated a birthday without his sister or mother, with no one in the family having any idea of what life would look like in the immediate future. Within 24 hours of Laura being admitted, her treatments were started.
As a family, they quickly decided to not let the entire process overwhelm them. “We stuck to three pillars to help us cope,” explains Laura’s dad. “ One. Focus only on the single task in front of us. Two. Only have a positive attitude. And three. Do NOT Google anything about ALL.”
This was not an easy list to stick to with their two-year-old daughter lying in a hospital bed getting unpronounceable medicines. But ultimately, Laura’s parents found it was easier to process information in small doses instead of all at once.
Another thing that made it easier was something that the family totally did not expect. “We were visited by many organizations, offering all sorts of community support,” remembers Laura’s mom. “Childcan, in particular, offered us programs to cover a lot of unexpected expenses. They provided financial support for items such as a parking pass for the entire duration of the treatment, meal vouchers for each day in hospital and gas cards for each trip.”
Between treatments, the kids took part in Childcan’s music therapy sessions, which helped to boost the entire family’s morale. Laura and Phillip danced and sang all the way through the sessions.
“It was hilarious to watch,” says Laura’s dad. “We also took advantage of the Positive Parenting/Coaching seminars offered, a forum to discuss concerns about our children’s behaviours and feelings. The tools provided during these sessions have been very useful in our daily lives.”
Soon, with the help of the Super Star Sibs program, the family will have the opportunity to acknowledge how important Phillip is in Laura’s healing process. Childhood cancer truly does affect every member of the family, and every facet of daily life. Programs like the ones Laura’s family has participated in enable them to devote their energy into their daughter’s care.
“It has been six months,” says Laura’s dad. “There have been many challenges, but we are starting to see glimpses of the Laura we knew before Leukemia. We are thankful for our families and the amazing community outreach. It is comforting knowing that we do not have to face Laura’s illness alone.”