CEO m essage
Happy Holidays!
It’s been an amazing first year with Kids Cancer Care. I am inspired every day by the courage of the kids and families we serve and the ways you thrive in the face of adversity. It motivates us to do more.
I am moved by the community YOU have built over the past 30 years. It is truly a community for life. Everything you do makes our community stronger and more resilient. Whether it’s volunteering, making generous financial gifts, organizing or participating in fundraising events, it all matters and empowers us to do more.
Easton’s story is a testament to the power of community. His story illustrates the strength and determination of a child and family navigating the devasting impact of cancer while being embraced by a community who cares.
Thank you for bringing hope and healing to our families during this holiday season and throughout the year. You are transforming young lives.
With warmth and gratitude,
Tracey Martin Chief Executive Officer
PS. Please consider making a yearend gift. If you donate by December 3, your gift will be matched 3 times by generous donors, tripling the impact for kids like Easton.
You're giving Easton a fighting chance healing ignited by you
Thank you for being on Team Easton every step of the way.
“Words cannot express what it was like to wait during this time. We held his hand in the PICU1 until the next morning at 9 am, just waiting for him to wake up, to talk, so we could finally breathe again.”— Amanda
Easton was just finishing up grade four in June 2023 when he started experiencing neck pain and nausea. He’d taken a hit to the head from a soccer ball a few weeks earlier, so his parents Amanda and Jeff were worried it was a concussion.
When his parents learned that Easton was also experiencing vision problems and seeing double, they were even more concerned. What they didn’t know is that with morning vomiting, Easton was showing signs of a pediatric brain cancer.
After several doctors’ appointments and a series of tests, including an ultrasound, X-ray, blood work, and an eye exam, the Moppett-Beatches were still no more knowledgeable about their son’s condition.
One morning, Easton woke up with neck pain so severe it brought him to tears and later vomiting. His parents rushed him to emergency.
“Words cannot express what it was like to wait during this time,” says Amanda. “We held his hand in the PICU until the next morning at 9 am, just waiting for him to wake up, to talk, so we could finally breathe again.”
Jeff agrees: “It was the worst news. We could hardly bear to tell him. Two brain surgeries in one week. It was almost unbearable for all of us.”
A CAT scan, followed by an MRI, confirmed that Easton had a brain tumour. Their world shattered.
Within a week, Easton had undergone two brain surgeries to remove the tumour. They were intense, risky procedures as the tumour was dangerously close to his brain stem. 2
A biopsy of the tumour revealed that Easton had medulloblastoma — an aggressive pediatric brain cancer. The tumour was the size of a golf ball.
During the second surgery, the surgeon was able to remove 100 per cent of the tumour. That was the good news.
The bad news was that Easton could not move after the first surgery. That would mean another 21 days in the hospital, relearning to swallow, drink, eat, sit and walk. Easton was barely walking again when they had to leave for Jacksonville, Florida where he received 30 rounds of proton radiation. 3 Later that fall, Easton
Amanda holding his hand after surgery
Easton at the hospital during treatment
You're giving Easton and his family the support they need
“When we were thrown into this cancer world, we were disoriented and lost. Kids Cancer Care was our only anchor, allowing us to stop spinning and stop spiralling into despair…. We are so grateful for Kids Cancer Care.
— Amanda
was back in Calgary, beginning a six-month chemotherapy protocol.
After more than a year of invasive medical procedures, harsh side effects, and intense fear and uncertainty, Easton finally finished treatment. Amanda recalls the day fondly: “He burst into tears as his class took a field trip to surprise him in the backyard, ringing bells to mark his last chemo treatment.”
That support meant everything to Easton, and with your support, Kids Cancer Care was also there for him.
You're helping create kinder classrooms
Working one-to-one with Easton, our child life specialist co-created and copresented a customized Cancer in the Classroom session for his grade five class. Thanks to your support, this unique program helps school children understand cancer and its impact on their classmate. Fostering greater understanding and empathy in school children, Cancer in the Classroom helps prevent bullying and build character and school spirit. With each session, the class receives a Monkey in My Chair who occupies the desk of the sick child while they’re away. The monkey offers school children a tangible and playful focus around which they can interact.
In Easton’s class, the big question was always, “What hat are you bringing for the monkey?” When Easton was too sick to come in, his sister Ellie would bring in the hat for him. Since Easton is a big hockey fan and player, the monkey often wore a Tampa Bay Lightening cap and a Team Easton sweatshirt. His family created Team Easton sweatshirts and later sold them at the school. The initiative increased understanding and support for Easton while raising $5,550 for Kids Cancer Care.
“About 75 per cent of his school happily wears their Team Easton t-shirts daily,” says Amanda. “It was a wonderful way for the school to think of Easton and remember him as he would be leaving school again in October for six months of chemotherapy.”
You're helping kids rebuild their strength
Your support helped Easton rebuild his strength through our PEER 4 exercise program. Working one-to-one with our Ph.D. exercise specialist, Easton gradually returned to his former self.
“These weekly sessions have helped Easton regain his strength, balance, coordination and most importantly his playfulness!” says Amanda. Designed by a team of pediatric cancer care professionals, PEER helps children combat the deconditioning effects of cancer and its harsh treatments while reducing side effects.
Easton presenting his Cancer in the Classroom session to his classmates
Caro monitoring Easton’s progress during a PEER session
how to help ways you can help during the holiday season
DONATE
Your gift at Christmas will be triple-matched! Make a year-end gift for 3 X the impact in the lives of children affected by cancer! Make a year-end gift today.
DONATE BY DEC 3rd FOR
GIVE MONTHLY
For the price of a coffee, you can be a superhero in the life of a child with cancer. Join our League of Superheroes Monthly Giving Club and make a lasting impact with monthly gifts that add up over time.
CYCLE
Join us for the Ride of Courage, summer 2025. A premier allinclusive, 3-day cycling event. Cycle by day and recover around the campfire by night at Camp Kindle.
You're helping the whole family
Thank you for helping us put a child’s life back together this Christmas.
While Easton was busy at PEER, Ellie was busy at PLUS5, a five-week program for siblings. Amid the chaos of a child’s cancer journey, undiagnosed siblings can feel left out and alone. Thanks to your support, PLUS was there to offer Ellie a safe space to explore her feelings and ask questions.
ROCK YOUR LOCKS ALL-YEAR LONG
Show moral support for children who lose their hair during chemo and cut, colour or shave your lid for a kid. Raise funds for our essential programs.
CREATE YOUR LEGACY
Creating your legacy is easy and there’s an option that’s right for everyone. Ask us for a copy of our Legacy Giving brochure today.
Family Camp – You're giving families the respite they need
Your generosity also provided the whole Moppett-Beatch family a weekend away at Family Camp where they connected with other families and participated in an array of activities from archery to ropes, giant swing, and arts and crafts.
“We had an awesome time,” says Amanda. “Easton and Ellie made friends and LOVED the camp counsellors.”
“When we were thrown into this cancer world, we were disoriented and lost,” says Amanda. “Kids Cancer Care has been an anchor for us, allowing us to stop spinning and stop spiralling into despair. A ‘village’ for us to settle into, as we slowly stopped to breathe, recover and learn in this new world. We are so grateful for Kids Cancer Care and will continue to do everything we can to support, advocate and fundraise for such a wonderful local charity supporting cancer families.”
Thank you for being on Team Easton and for being part of our village.
Special thanks to the Flames Foundation for supporting our PEER exercise program and Canada Post for igniting our PLUS program.
Jeff, Easton and Ellie