A mother’s battle

My name is Melissa and I am writing to you today asking for your support for my 34 year old sister, Michelle and her young family.

In June 2021, 30 week pregnant Michelle, her husband Ty, and their daughters Juliet(5) and Adeline(2) traveled home to Prince Edward Island from Yellowknife, NWT, to enjoy their summer vacation with their family. Michelle in her 5th fertility assisted pregnancy (2014- baby born sleeping-Gabriel, 2015- late missed miscarriage) was excited at the thought of the support of friends and family while they welcomed their new baby into the world. Just to add a bit of excitement during the summer, they were scheduled to travel to the IWK Children's Hospital in Halifax, Nova Scotia, as their 2 year old required surgery on two occasions for a birth defect in her kidney. Thankfully, these surgeries went as planned and little Adeline has recovered nicely.  Shortly thereafter, Michelle’s summer became increasingly complicated. 

In early July, Michelle began suffering, what would become intense complications; consistent bleeding which required hospital admission and emergent maternal care. She would nearly lose her life, as well as her babies’, during a frightening and traumatic emergency c-section on July 14th.  The root of her previous complications were diagnosed as placental abruption and undetected vasa previa. Luckily, she gave birth to an early (35wks), but remarkably healthy, baby boy named Hatton. All would be well and they would be home to enjoy the rest of the summer. They looked forward to everything finally becoming their own version of boring, but unfortunately it didn’t work out that way. 

On Sunday, August 8th, 2021, Michelle was rushed to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Emergency room due to intense abdominal pain, violent tremors, and vomiting.  Michelle was admitted to hospital and endured countless tests which located lesions in her liver and lungs. Michelle was transported via ambulance to the Moncton City hospital in New Brunswick to undergo a biopsy which led to an unexpected ICU admission due to an internal bleed.  Michelle’s husband, mother Susan and 4 week old baby Hatton rushed to Moncton to be by her side. As stubborn and loving Michelle is, she refused to give up her breastfeeding journey and continued to nurse her baby during her 2 week hospital stay.  Thankfully both hospitals supported Hatton staying alongside Michelle every step of the way. 

On August 20th we heard the horrific news that our Michelle had an ultra rare form of cancer, Epitheloid Hemangioendothelioma or EHE.  This cancer would be found on her liver (15 tumours), her lungs (innumerable amount of tumours) and on September 2, 2021 it was now noted tumours in her thigh muscle and knee.  EHE has an occurrence rate found in less than 1 in a million patients, and sadly there is no cure.  They are seeking treatment from the Princess Margaret Cancer Center in Toronto, Ontario and Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio, along with local care with an oncologist in Moncton, New Brunswick. A young mother's worst nightmare.

This devastating news has left Michelle and Ty with an incredible load to bare. Not only do they have their two little girls, a brand new baby to care for, a devastating illness, but their lives have been uprooted due to an unexpected and indeterminate move across the country. They have been living in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories for the past 4 years. They've had to leave their home, belongings and entire life as medical staff have advised the family to stay close to their greatest support source (PEI) during this time and quick access to medical care on the East coast.

Through the years, Michelle and Tyrrell have dedicated their professional and personal lives in service to others as a Social Worker and an educator. This young family has been through more than their fair share. Any one of these events would be overwhelming for most people. I'm asking that if you are able to give, no matter how small, please donate. If we can assist with the financial burden facing this young family, then that is one less thing for them to worry about right now. 

Michelle remains positive and hopeful through all of this. She’s eager to navigate her treatment and  focusing on her family, often stating “I just want to be a Mom.” 

I will continue to update this page as much as I can, as Michelle would like everyone to know how she is getting along in her journey. We are forever grateful for the love and support that our friends and family have given us thus far. 

Thank you for taking the time to read my sister's story,

Melissa 

Xoxo