Quinton’s story, as told by his Mom, Nikki, at the 2025 Polar Bear Dip.
My name is Nikki. My husband and our sons took part in the Dip today. My husband Jim has been participating in the Childcan Polar Bear Dip for 8 years now. I have never dipped myself. However, I often say, if he is brave enough to go into those frigid waters every year then I would be brave enough to stand up here one day and speak in front of this large audience about the unbelievable organization that you are all here to support today.
On July 13, Brianna found a lump on the inside of her left thigh. Bloodwork was done at their local hospital’s ER, with the family returning the next day for an x-ray and ultrasound. The following morning they were on their way to Children’s Hospital to meet with a paediatric oncologist, not really knowing what was happening. They were given the news that Brianna more than likely had cancer and tests began.
The symptoms leading up to Kolby’s diagnosis – individually – all seemed minor. His energy was low, although only really noticeable when he was playing hockey. Kolby had always loved hockey and, in the two months prior to the diagnosis, he didn’t seem to enjoy it, just going out and skating around. He began to have headaches and even fell asleep in class one day. His parents knew something wasn’t right, but were at a loss as to how to proceed.
Keiran lights up everyone around him, especially his parents, Liz and Jeff. At three years old, he tries his best to keep up with his older sister, Rebecca - sometimes falling behind, but never quitting! With a love of dinosaurs, movies, pizza and superheroes, he is an energetic little brother. But, just over a year ago, the family’s life changed dramatically after a pediatric cancer diagnosis.
When the summer of 2018 rolled around, Jenny, Mike and their daughter Harper were preparing for their little family to grow. Expecting a baby at the end of the year, they couldn't imagine what was to come. Instead of beach days, walks to the park, and nights spent playing in the backyard, summer brought a nightmare for the family.
In January 2016, Luka was sick with what doctors believed was a bad flu. After a trip to the ER in February for unusually severe symptoms, Luka and his family were faced with a nightmare - a Leukemia diagnosis. Almost as soon as Luka and his family started to confront this horribly dark situation, Childcan entered the family’s story too.
