Hi, my name is Lindsay, and I’m fundraising on behalf of my dear friends, Jenn and Jay, and their children, Kaya and Bodhi. ❤️

A few weeks ago, their world changed in an instant.

Kaya became unwell and was taken to the emergency room. What started as a trip to the hospital quickly turned into every parent’s worst nightmare; doctors discovered a tumour in the back of her head.

Kaya was urgently transferred to BC Children’s Hospital, where she underwent major brain surgery. Thankfully, the surgeons were able to remove the tumour they could see.

Pathology later confirmed that the tumour was medulloblastoma, a type of childhood brain cancer.

Kaya now faces a long and difficult treatment journey involving chemotherapy and radiation. Much of her treatment will take place in Seattle and Vancouver, with additional care happening closer to home in Victoria. Her family has been told to expect approximately 58 weeks of treatment, followed by ongoing rehabilitation and recovery.

For Jenn and Jay, life has been turned completely upside down.

They are facing months of hospital appointments, treatment, travel between Victoria, Vancouver and Seattle, accommodations, time away from work, and all of the unexpected expenses that come with caring for a child through cancer treatment.

And in the middle of all of this is Kaya’s big brother, Bodhi.

His world has changed too. His sister is going through cancer treatment, his parents are spending countless hours in hospitals and travelling for her care, and his normal routine has been turned upside down. While everyone is focused on getting Kaya through this, we want to make sure Bodhi feels supported, loved and surrounded by his own village too. ❤️

Jenn and Jay have never been people who would normally ask for help.

In fact, asking for financial support has been incredibly difficult for them. But so many people have reached out asking the same question:

“What can we do?”

So we decided to create this fundraiser as a way for the people who love this family and those who have never even met them but want to help…to take a little bit of the weight off their shoulders.

This isn’t about taking away what they’re going through. We wish more than anything that we could do that.

It’s about helping make the practical parts of this journey a little easier.

Funds raised will help with the costs associated with Kaya’s treatment and recovery, including travel, accommodations, meals, transportation, parking, time away from work, medical and recovery-related expenses, and other unexpected costs that will come with a year-plus of treatment.

And through all of this, Kaya continues to amaze everyone. ❤️

Only weeks after major brain surgery, she has been working with physio and occupational therapy, getting stronger, walking with assistance, feeding herself, talking more and finding ways to still be a kid…making slime, seeing friends and showing that same determined, sassy personality that everyone who knows her loves.

She even recently shaved her head, so that it’s her choice instead of waiting for her hair to fall out from treatment.

She is facing this with an incredible amount of strength and determination.

Her oncology team has told her family that her cancer is treatable and curable, giving everyone hope as they face the long road ahead.

There will undoubtedly be hard days. There will be scary days. There will also be little wins and we’re going to celebrate every single one of them.

If you are able to donate, thank you. No amount is too small.

If you’re not able to donate, that’s okay too. Sharing this fundraiser, sending a message, keeping Kaya and her family in your thoughts, or simply helping us surround them with love means more than you know.

Jenn and Jay have an incredible community around them. We’ve started calling ourselves Mango’s Village because that’s exactly what this is - a village of people coming together to support a family we love.

Now we’re asking our larger community to join us.

For Kaya.

For Bodhi.

For Jenn and Jay.

For their family.

Because no child should have to fight cancer, and no family should have to walk that road alone.

One day.

One treatment.

One little win at a time.

Let’s show the Mango family just how big their village really is. ❤️