Leukemia strikes Henderson student
Healing prayers for Madison White T ISABELLE SOUTHCOTT | isabelle@prliving.ca
welve-year-old Madison White is fighting for her life in BC Children’s Hospital while family members take turns making sure she’s never alone. The Henderson Elementary School student didn’t feel well on March 16. “She went to sleep but when her mom tried to wake her she was unresponsive,” said Aunt Elisa Jardine who lives in Gibsons. “Her mother (Jamie Summers) rushed her to hospital where doctors discovered that she’d had a brain hemorrhage. She was flown to Vancouver with her mother and Aunt, April White, where she underwent brain surgery to relieve the pressure that was building due to a hemorrhage. Following the surgery, the family was given the diagnosis that Madison has acute myelogenous leukemia in an advanced stage. Chemotherapy was started the next day to try and get Madison into remission as soon as possible. The doctors are hoping to see a remission by the end of March and the family has been told that Madison’s chemotherapy treatments will require her to be in the hospital for the next six months. “It will be a long, hard battle for this beautiful little girl but we are hopeful that with the love of her family, friends and God’s healing hands, she will go into remission soon. The family has been told that there is a 60 percent chance of eradicating the leukemia and Madison has been placed in a study group which allows doctors to use new medications from around the world on her that are not readily available for patients in Canada. This gives Madison a better chance at survival if she needs to be given another form of medication other than what she is receiving at present to treat the leukemia,” says her great Aunt Susan Blanchard who lives in Welland, Ontario. Susan has opened a GoFundMe page called Madison’s Healing Prayers Fund where she is raising money for Madison’s needs and to help the family with their expenses of traveling back and forth from Powell River to Vancouver’s Children Hospital where Madison is staying. Madison’s page is updated daily so those who are donating money or want to leave a comment or a prayer can see how Madison is progressing.
“It will be a long, hard battle for this beautiful little girl” – Great Aunt Susan Blanchard There is also a Facebook page called Healing Prayers for Madison White where the family posts updates about Madison as well as pictures, comments and prayers. On March 23, Madison had a lumbar puncture done (a treatment given through the spine) so medicine could be directed into her brain and spinal fluid where they have found cancer cells. She came through that procedure well and was actually chatting with the family for a few minutes at a time when she was awake. “She was often using the thumbs up gesture to let everyone know
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ford all the expenses associated with travel and spending so much time in Vancouver while Maddie receives treatment so friends are asking the community to help if they can. Besides the gofundme page (Madison’s Healing Prayers Fund) donations are being accepted at BMO under her Uncle Christopher MacGregor’s name with memo saying ‘In trust for Madison White.’ Transit number is 07810; account is 3982-189. Madison is the oldest of eight children in a blended family. She lives in the Townsite and is in grade seven at Henderson School. “She’s just one of those kids who seems to be able to find joy in everything she does, says
WAYS TO HELP MADISON Prayers, of course. And there’s a financial reality for her family to be with her as she goes through treatment for the next six months. . If you can donate money, here’s how: • At press time, Madison’s page at gofundme.com had raised $3,850 of the estimated $25,000 that will be needed. • Donations are being accepted at BMO under her Un-
cle Christopher MacGregor’s name with memo saying ‘In trust for Madison White.’ Transit number is 07810; account is 3982-189. • Keep up to date on Facebook at Healing Prayers for Madison White.
LIFE BEFORE LEUKEMIA: Madison White, the oldest of eight sisters and brothers, is in hospital in Vancouver fighting cancer. Her friends have promised to buy her a turquoise wig after she loses her hair, because she’s always wanted turquoise hair. she was hanging in there. Speaking was difficult as her mouth was swollen from the intubation tube that had been down her throat to help her breathe,” said Susan. The following day Madison showed some signs of deterioration and was taken back into surgery to relieve pressure that was building on her brain again due to continual bleeding. With Madison’s platelet level so low, the blood was not clotting to stop the bleeding. Her spleen was enlarged and was destroying the platelets so her surgeon decided to remove her spleen. The platelet level immediately began to increase and was two fold by the time they began the brain surgery. Madison’s Uncle Chris MacGregor of Gibsons says “She’s a fighter, they removed her spleen, another blood clot from her brain and drained her brain of fluids.” Madison continues to astonish her family and doctors with her will to survive and comes through such procedures so well and with a “thumbs up.” The family doesn’t know how they will be able to af-
Doug Skinner who coached her at volleyball. Henderson Principal Kristin Brach says Madison’s Henderson family sends her lots of love and strength. “Maddie’s family is such a key factor in her life and recovery and although they are able to make ends meet, they are not a wealthy family,” said family friend Amanda Bye. “Her mother, father (Jason), stepmother, grandma, grandpa and aunt have been by her side since the day this all happened and have been taking shifts in her room so she never has to be alone. Maddie’s brother Hunter, 2 and sister Heather, 3 are also in Vancouver. “Maddie is surrounded by so many people that love and care about her. There are hundreds of people who have never met her who continue to pray for her and her family including her family in Ontario.” Maddie’s school friends made her volleyball uniform into a giant pillow, said Elisa. “There were three kids from Powell River who were in Vancouver on spring break and they went to the hospital to visit her.” Thirteen-year-old Isabelle Nivens visited Maddie with her sister Chayana and friend Dakota Budgell during spring break. “She could hear us talking to her, but she couldn’t respond,” said Isabelle, adding that they wanted Maddie to know they were thinking about her and they care. Madison will soon lose all her waist length blonde hair, said Chris. “Her friends told her they will buy her a turquoise wig, because she always said she wanted turquoise hair.” Save On Foods held a barbecue and Powell River Living has heard that other fundraisers are in the works. “Your prayers are definitely reigning triumphant for Madison so please keep them coming,” said a family post on social media. “I have witnessed so many miracles this week as Madison keeps coming through such critical ordeals with flying colors.”