Dax’s story began towards the end of April 2020, when his parents noticed the shells of his ears were crimson red. His Fitbit was reading an accelerated heartbeat of 130 beats per minute, but his blood pressure was extremely low. Dax was prescribed antibiotics and told to wait four or five days to see if any changes occurred.
That lasted two days. At 2 am the morning of May 9th, 2020, Dax woke up with his face completely swollen, crimson in colour, and having difficulty breathing.
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.
Last February, I started to have these headaches, mostly at the front of my head and at my temples. Our pediatrician thought it might be sinus headaches, but recommended a CT, just to be safe. We went to the ER and had the scan.
Point-blank, the doctor there told us, “Good thing that you came; you have a cerebellar tumour.” I went into a sort of shock; I don’t even remember what happened right after hearing this news.
“He is the strongest person I know, and he’s only one,” is how Jakub’s mom, Joanna, describes her son. “I learned the meaning of strength the day he was born.”
In August of 2020, the family received devastating news. The “rash” that Jakub had been experiencing ended up being their worst fear. Cancer.
For most of us, 2020 will be known as the year of COVID. The year that we stopped shaking hands and started wearing masks, that schools, businesses and even borders closed. 2020 was certainly a year that our way of life changed and a year that most would like to forget. This could not be any more of an understatement for Lachlan’s family.
Dax’s story began towards the end of April 2020, when his parents noticed the shells of his ears were crimson red. His Fitbit was reading an accelerated heartbeat of 130 beats per minute, but his blood pressure was extremely low. Dax was prescribed antibiotics and told to wait four or five days to see if any changes occurred.
That lasted two days. At 2 am the morning of May 9th, 2020, Dax woke up with his face completely swollen, crimson in colour, and having difficulty breathing.
Johnny’s mom, Jessica, remembers August 5, 2020 as the day their world was flipped upside down. “Our son woke up completely yellow with blue lips,” she recalls. “He couldn’t walk and had a fever.” Johnny was admitted to the Pediatric Critical Care Unit, and three days later, the diagnosis was made.
Johnny was five years old when he was diagnosed with B cell ALL.
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.
Megan got very sick in December of 2018. No one had any answers as she went from being the healthiest little girl to being unable to walk. Finally bloodwork revealed devastatingly low counts. Megan was put into hospital and the family put into a new world.
Megan was diagnosed with leukemia at just two years old.
In 2016, Jamie was diagnosed with leukemia.
“I refer to it as the ‘Best Club You Never Wanted to Belong To’,” explains Jamie’s mom. “All of those families go through the same kind of pain, and mental anguish, and emotional and physical exhaustion. You can relate to those families and those parents on a completely different level than you can with anybody else.”
One morning, Layla woke up with her eye closing shut. Trying not to panic, her family took Layla immediately to the ER. An MRI revealed that there was a mass on her right side, just below her brain.
Once admitted to LHSC’s Children’s Hospital, a myriad of tests and procedures confirmed that Layla had Stage 4 Orbital Embryonal Rhabdomyosarcoma, a highly malignant, soft-tissue tumour.
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.
Bentley had just completed Junior Kindergarten and, being a typical five-year-old, he was feeling the freedom of a summer stretched out in front of him. His family was on their way to a vacation when his parents noticed increased bruising on his legs. While away, Bentley also developed petechiae. It would resolve itself overnight, only to reappear in new spots.
Justin and his family had just returned from a vacation on Manitoulin Island. A musician, 17-year-old Justin had a weekend of playing ahead of him when he started to feel, as he describes it, “off”. His mom, Lorraine, decided a visit to the clinic was in order, hoping that blood tests would offer an answer to their concerns. Bloodwork and x-rays taken, Justin and his family awaited the results. The call came at 9:00 o’clock that evening.
On September 9th, 2017, one week into the new school year, a large lump was found in Brooklyn’s left forearm. Her family made a trip to the local hospital’s emergency department, where they immediately did x-rays and an ultrasound. On October 25th, Brooklyn was diagnosed with Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma, a very aggressive rare cancer, in her arm and a spot in her lung.
Celina is the true definition of a hero, especially to her parents, George and Krystal. She had never once been sick or even had so much as a fever. Not until September 18, 2017. After that, their world was forever changed.
On October 10th, 2017, at only 10 months old, Celina was diagnosed with a very aggressive, malignant brain tumour.
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.
