Hi, I’m Ryane. I know I may look like a normal, active 15-year-old, but I am not.

Friday, August 31^st started off normally for our family, until our daughter Evelyn complained of abdominal pain and we took her into the Alberta Children’s Hospital. What we originally thought might be appendicitis was later discovered to be a softball-sized tumour in her abdomen. It was further diagnosed as stage 4 neuroblastoma, a type of cancer stemming from the adrenal glands. 

I have learned over the months that living in fear of the what-ifs, while necessary, is also a step backwards for our family. We almost lost Michael once. The what-ifs force us to lose him in our minds over and over again. So, for now, we focus on today. Michael is meeting his milestones and brings us happiness and joy every single day.

At the age of just three and a half months, my son Carter was put on the list for a heart transplant and, at five and a half months, he received a new heart. We were overjoyed. But then this past August, at the age of nine, Carter was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma – a cancer that […]

My son Jaxon was just four years old in 2017 when he was diagnosed with medium to high risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia. It was a shock to me. What I initially assumed to be growing pains was actually deteriorating bone marrow density and a spinal compression fracture. Whoever heard of a preschooler with a broken back? I had no idea what lay ahead. I was terrified.