Kids Candidly Holidays Newsletter 2022

YOU ARE TRANSFORMING YOUNG LIVES

CEO message

a brother's story

You were there in the beginning

I am delighted to share our 2022 Kids Candidly Holiday issue with you.

I hope this special issue demonstrates the profound impact your generosity has on families. For many families, childhood cancer is a lifelong journey, and it affects the whole family.

Thanks to your support we can be there for families right from the beginning as they navigate the frightening world of childhood cancer and its lasting aftermath.

You are empowering children like Sofia and enriching their lives and you are helping their siblings who are inevitably pulled into the devastating wake of childhood cancer.

Thank you for bringing hope to children during the Christmas season and throughout the year. Wishing you peace and joy this holiday season!

With gratitude,

Sofia was four years old when she stumbled and fell during soccer practice and started to vomit. When the vomiting persisted her parents Shelly Bhayana and Naushad Hirani brought her in for testing. When an MRI revealed a massive brain tumour they knew that life would never be the same. They were in for a long and painful journey. Thankfully, YOU were there right from the start, helping them in a multitude of ways.

Sofia’s brother Shaan was six at the time. He recalls seeing his sister in the hospital for the first time: “It was unlike anything I had ever seen. It was a blur of beeps, doctors, and tubes. I saw Sofia lying motionless in bed…. I remember my mom feeding Sofia through an NG tube, which I didn’t understand.”

Amid the fear and confusion of those early days, you were there with your generosity, offering the Hirani family a slice of ‘normal’ at our Pizza Nights in the hospital. It was comforting to be together as a family, enjoying a slice of pizza and connecting with other families on the unit.

The best hope for survival

Sofia’s treatment would eventually take the family to Houston, Texas where she received proton radiation at the MD Anderson Cancer Centre.

crushed. He couldn’t understand why they couldn’t all come home together. He was far too young to understand that proton therapy offered Sofia the best hope for survival without the devastating side effects of high-dose radiation. Their hopes were dashed. After highdose chemo and proton therapy, Sofia’s cerebrospinal fluid still showed cancer cells. She would have to undergo the highdose radiation they were hoping to avoid. The high-dose radiation caused serious brain damage, affecting Sofia’s speech, hearing, balance, coordination, mobility, and learning. And so began her long road to recovery.

Christine McIver, M.S.M., LLD (Hon), CFRE Founder and Chief Executive Officer

PS. Please consider making a gift this holiday season or becoming a monthly donor. Your generosity will help create unforgettable moments for families throughout the coming year.

“My parents made it seem like a Christmas vacation but when we got there, it was the same as Calgary,” recalls Shaan. “Waking up to one parent with Sofia gone, staying in hospital waiting rooms for hours, and an overall sense of loneliness was ever-present.”

About a month later, Shaan would return home with Dad to return to school. Mom and Sonya stayed with Sofia while she completed the proton therapy. Shaan was

You

are helping Sofia to rebuild after cancer

With help from numerous therapists and specialists, Sofia has relearned to feed herself and how to walk with a walker.

The sibling trio at Camp Kindle this summer.

“I was overjoyed when they finally came home, but Sofia wasn’t the same.” – Shaan

your support helps the whole family navigate the cancer crisis

Big brother Shaan, little sister Sonya and Sofia.

Her language skills have also improved. She understands more and can participate more fully in conversations. Thanks to you, Sofia benefits from two hours of therapeutic exercise each week through our PEER* program. She works one-to-one with our Ph.D. exercise specialist, rebuilding her bone mass, core strength, balance, flexibility, muscular and cardiovascular capacity, and overall physical literacy. Both Sofia and Sonya are regulars at PEER where they enjoy being active together and connecting with other kids.

Sofia has also benefitted from the help of a tutor made possible by your generosity. Sofia and her tutor worked diligently on her math and reading skills, filling a critical gap not met by the education system.

You are helping the whole family

As Shaan and Sonya mature, they are starting to play a larger role in Sofia’s daily care. Sonya helps with her morning and evening medications while Shaan gives Sofia her daily growth hormone injection.

“Mom and Dad have taught me how to safely be with Sofia,” says Shaan, who is now 14. “When babysitting, you need to make sure she eats, brushes her teeth, and finishes her homework. And you can never leave her side. Like you can’t be in your room on your iPad or watching TV. Your focus is 100 per cent on Sofia.” While Shelly and Naushad are proud of their children, they worry about the toll of caregiving on Shaan and Sonya. And they worry about Sofia’s isolation.

“It’s hard to find activities we can do together as a family,” says Shelly. “Not everyone wants to sit and do crafts. We end up having to split up most of the time.”

Your support helps make family outings easier for families through programs such as Family Camp, Polar Express, Family Ski Day, and A Christmas Carol. Thanks to an adaptive skiing program, Sofia was able to participate in Family Ski Day too and she loved it.

“Sofia was out there for two hours, and she didn’t want to come in,” says Shelly. “It may seem small, but it is so important to us. Shaan was older when Sofia was diagnosed so he remembers how things used to be and he misses his sister.”

Cont. on page 4

Sofia working on her balance at PEER.

Sofia during treatment.

Naushad and Sofia.

Shaan and Sofia at Camp Sunrise.

how to help ways you can help us rebuild young lives

BE A MONTHLY DONOR

For the price of a coffee, you can be a superhero in the life of a child with cancer. Your monthly gifts will add up over time and make a lasting impact in the lives of children with cancer.

MAKE A ONE-TIME GIFT

Your gift during the holiday giving season will make all the difference now and throughout the year.

DO A CAN DO for KIDS

What’s a Can Do for Kids? It’s a fundraising event or initiative organized by someone like YOU or your company for Kids Cancer Care. The initiative can be as big or as small as you’d like. You decide.

BE BRAVE

Register your Big Brave event and cut, colour or shave your lid for a kid while raising funds for essential programs.

CREATE YOUR LEGACY

Creating your legacy is easy and there is an option that’s right for everyone. Reach out and ask us for a copy of our legacy giving brochure today.

a brother's story

– Shelly Cont. from

page 2

Our programs offer families a chance to make unforgettable memories as a family, while giving the whole family a much-needed break. Thanks to your support, the Hirani kids enjoyed a carefree week at Camp Kindle last summer They rediscovered a sense of freedom and normalcy while Mom and Dad enjoyed muchneeded downtime at home. The kids made new friends and created memories that will help sustain them for the long journey ahead. Thank you for being there for Alberta families facing childhood cancer and its lasting fallout.

Special thanks to the Calgary Flames Foundation for igniting our PEER exercise program.

Our Education Support Program is presented in memory of Steven Fowler who loved school and loved learning. We are grateful to the Fowler family and all our generous donors who invest in the future of children through our Education Support Program.

Shelly, Sofia and Sonya take a break inside during Family Ski Day.