Celine Bourchier

September is an exciting time for families as our children return to school and we reconnect with friends, teams, coaches and teachers. For our family it is a time of many joyous memories, but also some difficult ones as Celine was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) on September 1, 2017, and our lives were changed in an instant.

Each September that has followed has been marked by gratitude for the extraordinary team at BC Children’s Hospital (BCCH) and to LLSC researchers that helped save our daughter’s life. Celine’s medical team impacted us in many ways beyond the exceptional treatment she received. When she was going through treatment, Celine said one day that what she might want to be when she grows up is a “doctor scientist” who could come back and help other kids at BCCH, just like they had helped her. We often reflect on the incredible advances that have occurred in the field of pediatric leukemia, and this inspires us to support the work of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada (LLSC).

Today Celine is a strong, resilient, and healthy eleven-year-old who has been in remission and off treatment for over five years. She loves to dance and is an involved member of her school community.

Although our family has been involved with the LLSC for many years, Celine was motivated to make her own impact on the blood cancer community when she attended Light the Night last year for the first time. When Celine heard the Honored Hero speak, she said to us, “I want to do that”. With white lantern in hand, the now 11-year-old girl, who had celebrated being 5 years post treatment less than a year earlier, wanted to try and help this cause. That is impact and inspiration. Thank you for supporting Celine and families like ours.