I’m Joan, Grady’s mom. Grady turned 13 this past February and has a creative spirit, he loves making up stories, designing games and characters, and drawing. He’s incredibly bright, yet humble, and he cares deeply about the people in his life, especially his sister, Stella. Grady is the kind of kid who instinctively puts others first. He embodies kindness.

At home, Grady lives with me, his stepdad Jason, his sister Stella, and our two dogs, Roo and Smudge. He isn’t one for material things. His most prized possession is his well-loved VR headset, and he’s been quietly saving for a gaming computer. What he truly values is time with loved ones or a good cuddle with the dogs.

Our family has faced more than its share of challenges. Grady’s father, Justin, passed away from glioblastoma in 2016, and Stella was diagnosed with diabetes as a baby. These experiences have shaped Grady into an empathetic and compassionate person. He’s just a really good kid.

One night after supper with his grandparents, Grady wasn't feeling well, almost felt like he ate too much, and he went to bed. He had a restless night but didn’t wake us. In the morning we went to get Grady out of bed for school and he was already awake with stomach pain. I gave him some pain medicine and called 811. They suggested Grady go to the hospital within the hour.

At the Janeway, they did various imaging to determine what was wrong and they identified a large mass on his liver. He was admitted to the hospital later that day, March 2nd, for more tests which included a biopsy. We had to wait a long time for answers as they needed to send the sample to Pittsburgh for an expert opinion.

Finally, on March 19th, we were informed of his diagnosis. He has been diagnosed with an undifferentiated embryonal sarcoma, which is a rear primary liver cancer. His treatment plan will include both chemotherapy and surgery. The chemotherapy started that same day we received the diagnosis, and the surgery will take place at SickKids in Toronto. The timing of that depends on how many rounds of chemotherapy he needs to get the tumour down to a manageable size as it is currently too large to remove.

I am in shock and disbelief. It doesn't seem real that our little family is here again. Fortunately, the prognosis is good. Most people who have this cancer survive without reoccurrence. Altogether, we are preparing for 6 to 8 months of treatment, assuming all goes as planned.

This is a lot for our family to process, and the road ahead feels uncertain and overwhelming at times. Still, we are hopeful life can and will return to normal.

We are incredibly grateful for the support we’ve already received. As we navigate this, there will be unexpected expenses, especially related to travel and time away from home. Grady doesn’t ask for much, maybe just the occasional snack when a craving hits, so we generally don't know what we need until we need it and sometimes it's easier to order an item instead of delegating. We want to make this time as comfortable and bright for him (and Stella) as we can.

If you want to support our family, please know that any contributions will go toward easing this journey by helping with costs, creating moments of joy for the kids, and allowing us to focus on what matters most: being there for Grady.

We very much appreciate all the support and love shown; all the visits, well wishes, and hugs. Thank you truly.