Hope for Macklin

Burkitts Lymphoma Leukaemia.

One of the most aggressive, rare types of lymphoma a child can get. This cancer has an abnormally rapid rate of growth. An unreal reality. He’s not had it for much longer than a month, but it’s the reason for all of the symptoms Macklin has been having.

Hi! My name is Cassy, for those who may not know me, Brianna is my best friend. We’ve been friends for almost 20 years, so I’ve been around for a lot of the things to happen for this beautiful woman and her family! I remember her and Teddy, dating in high school, I was one of the first people to know she was pregnant with their sassy daughter Addelyn. I had the privilege of being there when they got married, they bought the house across the street from me, welcomed Brantley, decided to build their forever home with 3 bedrooms, just enough for them and their TWO kids… and I was there when she found out they were expecting Macklin. A shock, but I remember how happy she was, and how we both discussed knowing it was meant to be.

Fast forward a few years, kids are growing up, my kids and hers close in age and love being with each other…. Macklin comes down with a nasty ear infection! Not uncommon in her house, or mine for the kiddos to be sick around the clock, so antibiotics are prescribed and we wait for Macklin to feel back to his normal self. Except, that doesn’t happen! He’s still complaining of being uncomfortable, but now it’s his belly, and his eye is starting to swell. So super mom takes him back to the doctor, and they chalk it up to constipation (this happens in toddlers who are on antibiotics for a while) and because his ear infection was so bad the swelling eye was excess fluid. No stress. Some laxative is given, hot compress the eye…. No relief. Back to the doctor. X-ray. No blockage in the belly. Ultrasound. Some lumps on his liver…

This brings us to now! McMaster Children’s Hospital/ Ronald McDonald house has been home for this family for the last month. Test after test, and we have a diagnosis. That unreal reality I mentioned before. Burkitts Lymphoma Leukaemia.

He has a growth in his belly (rather large), one on his spine (still ok, not affecting his spine), 2 on his skull, and 1 behind each eye (cause of the swelling).

As soon as we had a name, we had a treatment plan. Aggressive cancer calls for VERY intense treatment. Macklin won’t be home for at least 8 months… Steroids were started, and then came chemotherapy. Not to mention, lots of tests. Spinal taps and MRIs constantly.

Brianna and Teddy aren’t working. They are with Macklin all day everyday as he needs constant care, attention and support. They need each other to make it through, and they still have 2 kids at home! Addelyn, 8, has many activities she’s involved in, and Brantley, 4, still needs a lot of attention! Brianna’s parents have the kids everyday, and the rest of the family is helping to fill in all the blanks. Their village has definitely come together in their time of need. But they still have bills. They have the house to up keep and now are driving back and forth A LOT to be as present as possible for Addelyn and Brantley.

I love these humans so much, and I just want to be able to help in some way. You feel helpless in these situations. I want to take some stress, some pain, some hurt away. This is how we can all do that!

So please, whatever you can donate will be helpful! It will all go to the family to help pay for all their needs right now, and help pay off any debt that will accumulate while they aren’t working. Anything that they have left will be donated back into the AMAZING McMaster Hospital, and Ronald McDonald house. They would be absolutely lost without the help they are receiving on that end.

Thank you for reading and for anything you can give. You couldn’t be helping a better family