Help Sloane fight stage 4 Neuroblastoma

On May 26, our five year old niece Sloane went to the Alberta Children’s Hospital with a week-long fever and leg and groin pain. Her parents thought the worst case scenario would be sepsis or meningitis. Never did they imagine they’d be admitted to oncology, not to be discharged until a week later with a high-risk stage 4 neuroblastoma diagnosis. CANCER. A word no parent should ever have to hear alongside their child’s name. She has a 6cm mass on her adrenal gland, questionable spots on the lungs by her vertebrae and a high probability of cancer in the bone marrow. Over the past week, Sloane has gone through x-rays, CT scans, MRIs, ultrasounds, echocardiograms, a biopsy, bone marrow testing, blood and platelet transfusions and is now the proud owner of a central line – things most of us will never have to go through in our lifetime. Her treatment will consist of multiple rounds of chemo, surgery, high-dose chemotherapy, radiation and immunotherapy – a combination of in-patient (admitted) and outpatient procedures. Between the treatments, recovery and inevitable hospital stays for fever and infection, and her inability to attend grade one, the next 12 months will be all about Sloane for her mom (Claire), dad (Curt) and seven year old sister (Indy). In the short period of time the world has known of Sloane’s diagnosis, Claire and Curt have been inundated with prayers, words of support and constant questions of “How can we help?” We are setting up this GoFundMe so Claire and Curt don’t have to worry about the things that will help Sloane get through this tough time. They want to give Sloane the best year possible despite the physical and emotional toll this will take on her little body and mind. From cool hats and head wraps to experiences that will brighten her day, any amount helps. Those who know Sloane (or Sloaney Baloney as most call her) know that she is our family’s goofball. Her laugh is infectious, she loves to sing (her future career aspiration), she’s full of energy (and somehow still is), she’s courageous and gives us a heart attack when she’s whipping around on her scooter. The next 12 months will certainly look different for this little girl. While we can’t control what will happen to her physically, we can do our best to make sure her strong spirit remains intact. If you are not in a financial position to help, we completely understand. All we ask is that you keep sending your prayers and positive thoughts their way over the next 12 months. Every bit helps. Sloane will also likely have multiple blood transfusions over the course of her treatment, so donating blood is another great way to support her. We need everyone to be #stronglikeSloane – she is our warrior. Katie and Sacha