On January 20th 2019, Just before Quinns second birthday, we heard the words no parent wants to hear. That your child has cancer.
Quinn had been sick for a while and had a fever that just wouldn't go away. We took her to her doctor one week, a walk in clinic the following week and was told it was probably a viral illness. In the third week, she was so tired that she would wake up from her nap and just lay there staring at the wall.
We then decided to take her to emergency and begged the doctor to give us an answer. It was then that they took blood and discovered that her blood counts were extremely low. As we sat in a private room in the emergency department, we were told that Quinn had Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia and would start treatment immediately.
Quinns journey began with a month long inpatient stay including three surgeries, ICU admission, blood transfusions and her first chemo of many. She spent her birthday in surgery and recovery.
At the age of 2, we watched her become the strongest and bravest person we have ever known. Through numerous admissions, many lumbar punctures, countless blood tests, transfusions, medications, illness, she has done it all with a smile on her face and assurance that it is all okay. On March 29th 2021, Quinn took her final dose of chemo and got to ring the gong.
Being a cancer family is hard and it can feel lonely at times but one of the biggest things you find in your lowest times, is community. You find strength in others who have walked your path, support in organizations that are there to help you back up on your feet and friends in the nurses and doctors that root for your child as if they were thier own.
The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada was one of the first organizations that we found. We chose then to join the Light the Night Walk because being able to raise money and support for so many others going through what our daughter was meant a lot to us.
Having our friends and family join us in raising money and support, as well as be there beside us for the walk, showed us that we are not alone and even though we couldn't do anything to help Quinns battle, we could be a part of something bigger.
We believe it is important to fund cancer research, important to have support and access to information for all cancer families. We can't thank the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society enough for all it provides to families like ours.
