While the holidays are in full swing for many BC residents, some folks, like seven-year-old Isabella’s family, will have a very, very different kind of Christmas and holiday season this year after a cancer diagnosis.
Daily Hive recently had an exclusive interview with Isabella, her 10-year-old sister Gabriella, and their parents, Brent and Carly.
One day this past summer, Isabella and the family were getting ready for school, the same school that Gabriella attends and Brent and Carly both work at.
“Then Isabella just fell to the ground, saying ‘my stomach;’ she’s in pain,” Carly said. “We couldn’t go to work at the last second, so we brought her there, and then she fell ill in the classroom.”
Initially, they just thought it was flu-like symptoms. Brent brought her back to their home in Nakusp, BC, and for the next two days, she continued to have similar symptoms, but they weren’t getting better. She also couldn’t keep anything down, so on Saturday night that week, they decided to take her to the emergency room. They were informed that they wanted to have a pediatric expert take a look, so they drove to Trail, BC, that evening. That’s when they discovered she had a mass in her kidney.
Isabella was diagnosed with a Wilms tumour, which is a cancer that develops from kidney cells. It’s also known as nephroblastoma and is commonly found in children.
Since then, to say that the family has been through a journey is to say the very least.
“We’ve been living and breathing this for the last six months,” Carly said.
This past September, Isabella endured a 12-hour surgery, which the family describes as their “Everest.” The surgery wasn’t scheduled for 12 hours, so it took longer than expected.
“I can pretty much say I wrestled with God that day,” Brent told Daily Hive, which he says he tells everyone.
We asked what it was like, waiting during what must have been an excruciating 12-hour period, and that’s when Carly mentioned how important Gabriella has been for not only Isabella but the whole family. During our call with the family, you could hear how much Gabriella cares about her sister and how this trying experience has brought the family together through so much adversity.
“It was a tough one,” Brent said, adding, “Gabriella kept us levelheaded.”
Brent also shouted out BC Children’s Hospital, where Isabella has received most of her care, including during that 12-hour period. When so many BC residents are struggling with their medical care, Isabella’s family has had a great experience. During that ‘Everest’ surgery, there was never a drop in communication with the family. They were never in the dark.
“They didn’t leave us out,” Brent said. He also said that every time the phone rang, it played at his heartstrings.
BC Children’s Hospital and Child Life
BC Children’s Hospital in Vancouver. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)
Brent describes his experience at BC Children’s as “nothing short of perfect,” especially considering what he calls the ‘crazy situation’ they’ve been in. He said that Dr. Caron Strahlendorf and her team have been miraculous. At one point, the cancer was going up to Isabella’s heart, and they were able to figure out what to do.
It has allowed the family confidence in Isabella’s care and a dose of sanity in an insane situation.
BC Children’s Hospital also has a department called Child Life. According to the hospital, “Child Life Specialists at BC Children’s Hospital make hospitalization a more positive experience for patients through play, therapeutic interventions, preparation, and creative arts.”
We asked Isabella if anyone had made her hospital experience special. She mentioned someone from Child Life named Ashley, who brought stuff to Isabella’s room when she wasn’t feeling well and did fun activities with her.
Brent said that people in the Child Life crew, like Ashley, helped boost Isabella’s spirits and “brighten her day.”
“We were in Victoria for her birthday. She wanted to come back to the hospital in time to make sure that she got to see Dr. Caron. Then I said, ‘Why?’”
“Because she’s trying to save my life,” Isabella responded.
How quickly life perspectives can change
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“We have been living in a hotel-sized room for the last six months, and we have bonded as a family. We have gone through rollercoasters of emotions as a family. But I think we all appreciate time more than ever before as a family,” Carly said.
She added that this experience has helped them look at life with a lot more appreciation.
“The four of us have stuck together, which has been, we say, the only reason why we are still sane and so positive still.”
Brent echoed those sentiments, saying that sticking together as a family unit has been one of the “key pieces to this whole situation.”
Carly said their faith and prayer have also helped them through this tough ride.
They’re also thankful that the hospital and team have included Gabriella in all of the conversations and happenings with Isabella, including the fancy billboard photoshoot that Isabella got, which always brightens the family’s day when they see one and hopefully inspires others who might see it.
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Brent said that Gabriella is a part of Isabella’s care team, which likely has a huge impact on Isabella’s level of comfort.
“Isabella the Incredible isn’t just Isabella the Incredible without Gabriella the Great,” Brent added.
We asked the entire family what it has learned from this experience so far.
Carly said that you have to stay positive, given that doctors told the family they’d have good and bad days.
“You have to think day by day. You have to think forward.”
Brent, again, echoed those sentiments.
“Some days you’re gonna have big steps, and some days you’re going to have little, tiny steps that maybe move a millimetre, but still, it’s that constant moving forward.”
Gabriella told us she learned a lot about the body and the different types of cancer.
“I also learned a lot about the human body, so that was kind of fun.”
Fortunately, this tight-knit crew has another family relatively close by in Chilliwack with whom they’ll spend the holidays. For Isabella, the journey isn’t over, and she has one more procedure on December 27th.
“Our two children just saying certain things out of nowhere, realizing that they have learned so much through all this, and they have grown as human beings.”