Last September, our family’s world changed when we learned that our youngest, Maliya, who is 7, has a rare brain tumor. Since then, she has shown levels of strength and resilience that inspires us every single day. She has faced so much already, including nearly losing her vision last summer, undergoing 2 emergency surgeries and is now bravely receiving proton radiation treatment at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.

Because this specialized proton radiation treatment is not available anywhere in Canada, we had to travel to the United States to get Maliya the care she needs. While we are incredibly grateful to be receiving treatment at St. Jude, being away from home for an extended period has come with many emotional and financial challenges.

During this time, my wife Armellie has stepped away from work to be by Maliya’s side throughout her treatment in the US, ensuring she has the love and support she needs every step of the way.

We made the difficult decision together that I would continue completing school back home in Canada. Being apart from each other has been incredibly difficult, but with Armellie’s strength and support, I’ve been able to keep moving forward. Maliya being my inspiration would be a massive understatement and is the reason I keep pushing, even on the hardest days.

Throughout all of this, we are also doing everything we can to keep life as normal as possible for our son, Maliya's 10 year old brother, Isaac. He has been so strong through this journey, and it’s incredibly important to us that he continues to feel supported, loved, and grounded despite everything our family is facing.

While we are hopeful that this treatment will eliminate the tumor, we also understand that Maliya will require ongoing care and monitoring for years to come. This means continued coordination and care between medical teams in both the United States and Canada.

As you can imagine, the financial strain has been significant. We have done everything we can to manage expenses, but the reality is that this situation continues to challenge us in ways we never could have prepared for.

Above all, Maliya is our priority. Our goal is to give her as much comfort, stability, and normalcy as possible while she fights so bravely.

However you choose to support us, whether through a donation or by sharing Maliya’s story, it would mean so much.

From a father doing everything he can to keep his family strong for many years to come, we couldn't do this without you.