Host Sam Taylor chats with Dawn who’s son Ollie was 7 when she noticed a tiny bump on his neck that wasn’t going away. After months of trying to get answers, with multiple doctors suggesting it was cat scratch disease or tuberculosis, they finally got a biopsy that concluded it was ALCL. Treatment began, Ollie relapsed, and with the cancer cells now in his central nervous system they attached themselves to his optic nerves. After waking up from a lumbar puncture, Ollie was groggy and asking to have the lights turned on. Sitting under the bright fluorescent beams of the recovery room, Dawn assumed he was still just coming out of it, but when Ollie persisted, she could tell something was very wrong. After multiple tests, they learned that Ollie’s cancer had caused severe optic nerve atrophy resulting in his permanent loss of sight. Now blind, Ollie continued treatment including a stem cell transplant using his older sister as his donor, during covid.

Dawn shares her journey of navigating Ollie’s cancer diagnosis and treatment and finding hope in the midst of darkness, and the importance of giving back to the community. She highlights the challenges of adjusting optimism in the face of uncertainty and the need to create a roadmap when there is no guidance. She also explores the concept of the gift of cancer and finding light in the darkness. Dawn talks about the difficult decision of having her daughter as a stem cell donor for her son and the difficult parenting conversations they were forced to have. She explains how she turned her experience into advocacy and awareness, particularly in the areas of blood donation and childhood cancer education. Dawn reflects on finding purpose and empowerment through her advocacy work and the goal of improving support and education for families in the oncology and vision loss communities.

https://www.accessforkidscancer.ca/

https://opvic.ca/

https://www.ontario.ca/page/special-education-advisory-committees

https://www.bloodcancers.ca/i-care-someone-blood-cancer/blood-cancers-kids-teens-young-adults/childhood-blood-cancers

https://www.lls.org/dare-to-dream

https://www.cnib.ca/

https://kidskickingcancer.ca/

https://www.blood.ca/en/stories/the-need-goes-on-14-mission-to-save-her-brother

https://olliesbump.blogspot.com/

https://www.pogo.ca/

https://www.instagram.com/cnib_ollies_hope/

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