West Coast Kids Cancer Foundation (WCK) supports families navigating childhood cancer with small actions that make a big impact every day.
Jess and Joy have joined WCK focusing our attention on mental health programming as an area needing much greater resources for the long-term haul of a pediatric cancer diagnosis. Jess and Joy are the abbreviated names for two amazing individuals, Anna Joy and Jesse. Jesse is a Burkitts Lymphoma survivor (diagnosed at age 10), and now living a full life as a healthy adolescent.
However, it is with profound sadness we have to report that early in the morning this past Dec. 23, Anna Joy passed away at the age of 22 from a malignant brain tumor. Her Dad, John, shares her story here.
In 2013, genetic testing determined that our daughter Anna Joy, then 13, had inherited from her mother, Debby, a gene mutation which made them both very vulnerable to cancer. This is a very serious condition. The lifetime risk of cancer in female carriers is 100 percent. Indeed, between 2013 and her death from pancreatic cancer in 2020, Debby battled nine different malignancies.
In February 2016, a lesion was found to be growing in Anna Joy’s brain. This was removed the following month and diagnosed as glioblastoma, a very aggressive and dangerous malignancy. The five-year survival rate for patients diagnosed with glioblastoma is only about seven percent, and the average survival from diagnosis is about eight months. Following surgery, Anna Joy spent six weeks in Seattle undergoing a special type of radiation treatment which is not available in Canada.
For the next six years, defying the odds, Anna Joy remained cancer-free. She won an entrance scholarship to Simon Fraser University and enrolled in the Health Sciences program. She planned eventually to become a genetic counselor and aid families who, like our own, faced serious genetic problems and difficult health-care decisions.
Very sadly, in April of 2022, we learned that the glioblastoma had recurred in Anna Joy’s brain, and this time it was inoperable. She was put on two different chemo treatments, neither of which was very effective. She began to suffer from headaches, dizziness, interference with her ability to speak, and fatigue. By early November, in the middle of her fall term at SFU, it became impossible for her to continue her studies. Early on December 23, just weeks after her 22nd birthday, she suffered a massive seizure. She never recovered consciousness and passed away that afternoon into the arms of her loving Lord Jesus.
When a child is diagnosed with cancer, the entire family is slammed with a sudden onslaught of shock, grief, complications and expenses. School and work schedules are disrupted due to countless medical appointments and procedures. Income tails off as parents spend time navigating the health-care system and being at the bedside. In our case, the extended course of post-surgery radiation in Seattle threatened to swamp us with lost income along with travel and living expenses, none of which were covered by public or private health insurance.
Almost as soon as Anna Joy’s cancer had been diagnosed, however, a friend initiated an online fund-raising effort for us. The response was immediate and overwhelming. Combined with other acts of generosity, such as the provision of a beautiful apartment in Seattle throughout the six weeks of radiation, the fund ensured that expenses were literally the least of our concerns. We were able to focus our attention on caring for Anna Joy, not paying bills.
Having a child with cancer can cause feelings of desperation and isolation. While everyone else seems to be going on happily with life, affected families can feel alone in the face of a deadly threat. But we quickly realized that we were not alone. Each donation to the fund encouraged and comforted us. We were amazed to see how many people—even strangers—cared enough to help us.
And that is one of the beautiful things, a silver lining, which can come out of cancer and other devastating health traumas. They can bring out the best in people, giving them the opportunity to express love, to care, and to share.
I will forever be thankful for the loving support we received during Anna Joy’s cancer ordeal. And I can assure you that any help you provide to families stricken with cancer will be received with gratefulness. It will make a significant, positive difference—not only in their lives, but in yours. (Anna Joy's Dad)
Our goal through this particular fundraising campaign and in Anna Joy's honor is to contribute to a much needed area of psychological support for ALL members of an immediate family navigating childhood cancer (this may be through groups, retreats and one on one counselling with a registered clinical counsellor, psychologist, or social worker). Our current public healthcare cannot keep up with the extensive demand in providing psychological support over the long term journey and that is where we need your help.
Donate any dollar amount and help us reach our target goal of $50,000 (a very generous donor is willing to match all donations up to $50,000). All donations are eligible for a tax receipt.
Together let's help change the impact for families of childhood cancer and do so in memory of a truly incredible young woman-Anna Joy!
