{"id":173,"date":"2017-05-31T21:30:00","date_gmt":"2017-05-31T21:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kidscancercare.ab.ca\/annual-report-2017\/?p=173"},"modified":"2017-06-23T16:17:36","modified_gmt":"2017-06-23T16:17:36","slug":"coyhns-corner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kcc.php83.nfweb.ca\/annual-report-2017\/coyhns-corner\/","title":{"rendered":"cohyn’s corner"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cUntil you experience it yourself, you can\u2019t understand what a big difference generosity and support can make in a family\u2019s life.\u201d\u2013 Jason Jaskela<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

You can feel it the moment you walk in \u2013 a bright, elfin energy dancing in the Jaskela household. Three young children, brimming with questions and stories and explanations on life.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy name is Nevaeh,\u201d the oldest one announces. And she spells it out loud: \u201cN-E-V-A-E-H. Nevaeh is heaven spelled backwards.\u201d Then she explains that she has a brother in heaven and that is why she is named Nevaeh.<\/p>\n

Although Nevaeh (7) and her younger brothers Weston (5) and Joel (3) have never met their big brother, they know him. His memory is still very much alive in their home.<\/p>\n

\"\"
The Jaskela family at Camp Kindle<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As with most bereaved parents, Jason and Trisha Jaskela have come to dread the inevitable question:<\/p>\n

\u201cHow many children do you have?\u201d<\/p>\n

The answer they offer is often the simplest one: \u201cThree.\u201d<\/p>\n

This is the point Nevaeh jumps in: \u201cYou have four kids. Our big brother Cohyn is in heaven. He\u2019s up in heaven now, but he\u2019s all better now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cohyn’s journey<\/strong><\/h1>\n
\"\"
Cohyn was a happy, easy-going little guy who loved life<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Cohyn was just a year old, when he was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive brain tumour called atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumour (AT\/RT). That summer in 2007, Cohyn and his parents embarked on the most difficult journey of their lives.<\/p>\n

The cancer had spread throughout his entire brain and spinal cord. Cohyn underwent emergency brain surgery, followed by five rounds of chemotherapy and three stem cell transplants. Five months later, Cohyn and his parents were finally able to come home just in time for Christmas.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe went through all of it like it was a walk in the park,\u201d says Mom\u00a0Trisha. \u201cFor Cohyn, it was all about playing and, of course, flirting with the nurses and high-fiving with the doctors. As long as he could play, everything was great.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cohyn was a strong, happy-go-lucky little guy, who loved sports and camping. When he wasn\u2019t at the hospital, his life was all about fast vehicles \u2013 motorbikes, boats, golf carts, tricycles.<\/p>\n

Cohyn also loved to travel with Mom and Dad. Arizona, Mexico, Fairmont Hot Springs, Vancouver, Niagara Falls, Medicine Hat, Sylvan Lake \u2013 he travelled more in two years than some do in a lifetime.<\/p>\n

But Cohyn\u2019s biggest love was hockey. He even played it in the hallways of the hospital.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe never treated him like he was sick,\u201d says Trisha. \u201cA couple of days before his last round of chemo, we took him to a Flames game and sat in the third row. Cohyn wouldn\u2019t even talk to us or look at us for two full periods. His eyes were like saucers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trisha and Jason fondly remember the outpouring of love and support they received during Cohyn\u2019s cancer journey. And, for this, they are grateful.<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks to our amazing support system, Cohyn wasn\u2019t alone for a minute the whole time,\u201d says Trisha. \u201cFriends, family, people from church and work bent over backwards to help. They dropped off meals. Cohyn\u2019s grandparents immediately dropped everything and came to Calgary to help. They even took turns doing overnight shifts at the hospital, so we could get some sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kids Cancer Care was one of the organizations that helped Trisha and Jason through this challenging time. Every Wednesday evening, the Jaskelas found comfort in our weekly Pizza Nights<\/a> at the hospital. During Pizza Nights, they were able to meet other parents facing childhood cancer, exchange stories and share information over warm pizza.<\/p>\n

\u201cUntil you experience it yourself, you can\u2019t understand what a big difference generosity and support can make in a family\u2019s life,\u201d says Dad Jason.<\/p>\n

Cohyn’s legacy<\/strong><\/h1>\n
\"\"
Jason and Nevaeh walk the pink carpet at the Dad and Daughter Gala<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Inspired by their son\u2019s memory, the Jaskelas are helping families facing this disease.<\/p>\n

Jason and his daughter Nevaeh are regulars at the Dad and Daughter Gala<\/a> and, in 2016, the family made a significant gift of shares through Raging River Explorations Inc., where Jason works as chief operating officer.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe current economic situation seemed like the perfect time to make the biggest impact,\u201d says Jason. \u201cOur experience with Cohyn was so challenging and Kids Cancer Care was one of the organizations that was there for us. They are investing wisely in areas that are impacting the lives of children and families today, so it made sense to us to give here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Christine McIver of Kids Cancer Care couldn\u2019t agree more: \u201cA gift of this magnitude could not have come at a better time. It is a gift from the heart \u2013 from one family to many other families. Their generosity will be felt by many.\u201d<\/p>\n

But the gift of shares in 2016 wasn\u2019t the first gift the Jaskelas made to pediatric cancer. Their first gift actually came nine years ago. Moments after Cohyn passed away in 2008, Jason and Trisha donated his tumour and spinal fluid to research.<\/p>\n

Slowly, with some scientific arm-twisting, the tumour cells became a cell line and managed to survive in a Petri dish, allowing scientists a glimpse into its inner workings. The cell line ultimately gave researchers an invaluable tool to test for new treatments.<\/p>\n

\"\"
L-R Nevaeh, Joel and Weston at Camp Kindle<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cThe Jaskelas are an exceptional family,\u201d says Dr. Aru Narendran<\/a>, the Kids Cancer Care-funded researcher, who developed the immortal AT\/RT cell line in his University of Calgary laboratory. \u201cThey are the true heroes and I hope they know that their kindness continues to work quietly in many laboratories across the world, so maybe one day this cancer will no longer hurt children and families.\u201d<\/p>\n

Although Cohyn\u2019s life was brief, his legacy is far-reaching and enduring. It lives in the love and generosity of his family. It survives in the tissue and blood samples his parents donated to science a decade ago. Soon, his memory will live in a quaint little park named Cohyn\u2019s Corner, overlooking Kindle Pond at Camp Kindle. And, perhaps most importantly, Cohyn\u2019s legacy lives in the hope his family continues to offer countless families facing childhood cancer today.<\/p>\n