No family ever expects to face something like this. What began as a frightening and completely unexpected discovery On March 10, 2026, quickly turned into brain surgery for sweet baby Siena Marlowe Jimenez, age 7 months. She underwent a procedure to remove a tumour from her cerebellum. The road ahead is uncertain. As her parents, Jordane and Diego pour all their strength into loving and caring for her, they are facing the emotional and practical challenges that come with such a difficult time.

Siena comes from a family deeply woven into the fabric of our community. Her grandmother Irene Makelke-Way dedicated many years as a beloved schoolteacher, shaping the lives of countless students. Her grandfather Curt Way serves the community as a Whistler Transit bus driver, helping people get where they need to go. Siena's mom, Jordane, grew up in Whistler, surrounded by the mountains and the community that helped shape the person and mother she is today.

Now it's our turn to surround Siena, Jordane, Diego, and their family with the same care, compassion, and support they have given to others over the years.

Your support will help ease the financial strain of medical care, travel, and time away from work so Siena's family can focus on what matters most: being present with their daughter during this critical time. If you feel moved to give, share, or hold Siena in your prayers, every act of kindness helps lift this family in a moment when they need it most.

Attached is the full report from Jordane and Diego, please take a couple of minutes to read the whole story:

On March 9th, our lives turned into a nightmare. We had taken our 6-month-old baby, Siena, to the pediatrician for a checkup, hoping to figure out if her symptoms were caused by reflux or a cow’s milk allergy. For three weeks prior, we had been in and out of the ER and doctors’ offices trying to understand her persistent, unexplained vomiting.

Our doctor was unsure what was causing it and decided to run a series of tests, including an emergency head ultrasound. That same day, after the ultrasound, we were told to rush to SickKids in Toronto, and that our doctor would call us on the way to explain what was happening. That night, our sweet Siena was diagnosed with hydrocephalus caused by a large 4 cm x 4 cm posterior fossa brain tumour that had extended along her spine.

On March 10th, Siena underwent an eight-hour craniotomy to remove the tumour and to place a temporary shunt (EVD) to help drain excess fluid. Her neurosurgery team was hopeful they had removed the tumour, but follow-up MRI scans showed that there were remaining tumours along the surrounding brain membranes and spine.

Pathology later confirmed the tumour is an Ependymoma (Grade 4), a high-risk cancer with a strong likelihood of recurrence within a year of removal. Our oncologist prepared us for a long and difficult road ahead, explaining that Siena will need months to years of chemotherapy until she is old enough to safely undergo radiation.

For this type of cancer, chemotherapy is not as effective as radiation, but it is used to slow the tumour’s growth until she can tolerate further treatment. The statistics we were given were devastating, with only a 5–10% chance of survival to five years old, even with treatment.

We were told the second option is palliative care, aka symptom-directed treatment only. Her quality of life comes into question with living in constant, unimaginable pain, doctor's visits and developmental delays due to consistent radiation therapy. The thought of having Siena follow this path breaks our hearts. She’s so little and in so much pain without fully understanding what’s going on.

Right now, we are waiting for further testing to determine the exact subtype of the cancer and whether it has spread to her spinal fluid and nerves. We are also waiting to learn if she will need a permanent shunt to manage her hydrocephalus. Through all of this, our only wish is for Siena to be free from pain and to give her the best life possible, no matter how long we have with her. If you can please pray for our sweet Siena. Thank you.