The anticipation of the first day of school can bring up many emotions – excitement, nervousness, enthusiasm, anxiousness.
August 31, 2023, just before the first day of Grade 9, was a completely new experience for Eja. It was the day she was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma, commonly known as bone cancer.
Earlier that summer, what had started off as suspected growing pains in her leg – a natural part of most kids’ development – was becoming unbearable.
Eja had always been very active in sports, from volleyball and badminton to soccer and dance. Since she was so active, soreness wasn’t uncommon, but this pain didn’t go away. In fact it got so bad it caused her to start limping.
A trip to their family doctor ended with a referral for an X-ray. When the doctor called about the results, something in Jenalyn, Eja’s mother, just knew that it wasn’t going to be good news.
“He said it’s most likely cancerous,” Jenalyn recalls. “Eja and I looked at each other and she started crying. I’m trying to process it and it’s hard to believe just like that.”
Jenalyn did her best to stay calm. An MRI would confirm the doctor’s suspicions and after a three-day wait, which felt like a lifetime for an anxious mother and daughter, they got in and the diagnosis was confirmed.
“Our world came crashing down. We were just in shock.”
With no family history of bone cancer, they had so many questions. The cancer was initially found in Eja’s femur and from there it went to her knee and lungs. In less than a month, it was classified as Stage 4.
“Eja couldn’t even straighten her leg. She lost all her independence physically,” Jenalyn explains. Jenalyn had recently started a new role in healthcare, but she took a leave of absence to care for her daughter.
Eja’s treatment started on September 12 and as a result, she missed that entire school year. Despite her illness and intensive treatment plan, she still did her best to stay on track academically. “She maintained honours with distinction,” Jenalyn says proudly.
But her experience was isolating in many ways and presented other challenges, beyond just the physical.
“Eja lost contact with her friends as well. Being immunocompromised in the winter flu season is so hard. She was pretty much bound to the house and hospital, and it took a toll on her mental health.”
Eja and Jenalyn made the hour-and-a-half trek to the Calgary Children’s Hospital almost every week for nine months. With another 12-year-old daughter at home in Red Deer, Jenalyn’s husband needed to be there to care for her. “At that time, we wanted Isla to have a normal lifestyle.”
Helping Families was able to support the family with gas money for the countless trips to the hospital, which Jenalyn describes as a “huge relief.” In addition, they provided food vouchers, gift cards and parking passes. “I couldn’t imagine paying for parking,” Jenalyn says. “That was a big, big help for us. I couldn’t ask for anything more.”
Eja’s treatment ended in May 2024 and she returned to school in the fall, just in time for her first year of high school. For now, the plan is to continue with regular scans to monitor her progress, along with regular physio to help her recover her ability to walk.
“Eja’s very determined to get moving again. Hopefully one day she can go back to playing volleyball, so that’s our goal,” Jenalyn says.
“Every little thing that Helping Families provided for us is such a big amount. We feel so blessed that there are people like them that help families like us.”
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