"Together is our best place to be," says Rachel of her husband Mark, their 10-year-old twins Heidi and Allison, daughter Lindsay, 6 and her second set of twins Emery and Drayson who just turned four.
"We enjoy our time together as much as we can."
The family life they treasure was sent into a tailspin in the spring of 2016 when Heidi, then eight-years-old and excelling at school, started getting headaches. Constant headaches. A trip to an ophthalmologist for an eye exam revealed startling news - she couldn't see a thing with her left eye.
She was referred to a team of neurosurgeons and underwent an MRI and biopsy that revealed a rare type of brain cancer: chiasmatic optic pathway glioma. It was a frightful diagnosis.
"Things got big really fast," recalls Rachel. The tumour was too close to her pituitary gland and on her optic nerve so neither surgery nor radiation was an option. Thankfully the opportunity to participate in a clinical trial at CancerCare Manitoba gave the Braun family some badly needed hope. For the next 68 weeks Heidi and her mom would make the round trip from Winkler to Winnipeg for life-saving chemotherapy treatment.
"It's been a long road of ups and downs," says Rachel. Heidi's tumour shrank by 25 percent after the first three months, remained stable for nine months, and then increased back to its original size. Fortunately, the skilled team of pediatric oncology specialists monitor Heidi very closely and a quick change to her treatment protocol has since kept her tumour stable. Heidi now receives treatment once every three weeks.
Coping with cancer has been tough for Heidi, especially at school. "She struggled a lot. In her mind she was different from her classmates because she has this ugly thing called cancer," said Rachel. But after her cancer diagnosis was explained to her classmates, they showered her with love and support and that has made a huge difference for Heidi.
CancerCare Manitoba has become like a home away from home for Heidi and her mom. "It's such a positive experience. There is a whole group of staff and other cancer families that come together there. Everyone is walking the same journey you are on, and the atmosphere is so welcoming."
These days the greatest struggle for Heidi is not having an end date for her treatment. But her prognosis is good, providing treatment can keep her tumour dormant.
"We feel grateful to be able to participate in this study," said Rachel, acknowledging clinical trials continue to be a key factor in progress toward more successful treatment. "We feel good knowing Heidi's participation in trials will help other kids who are diagnosed with cancer in the future."
All funds donated to the Winnipeg Jets Hockey Fights Cancer campaign support pediatric clinical trials at CancerCare Manitoba and provide hope to kids like Heidi. Join Heidi at the Winnipeg Jets HFC game on Nov. 29 where she will participate in the ceremonial puck drop along with three other CancerCare Manitoba Foundation (CCMF) child ambassadors.
Mystery autographed pucks and mini sticks will be sold at the upcoming Nov. 27 and 29 Jets home games giving fans a chance to support the cause. Fans at the Nov. 29 HFC game have the exclusive opportunity to bid on unique pottery pieces created by the Jets Wives and Girlfriends and can also support the campaign through the purchase of a 50/50 ticket, the proceeds of which will be donated to CCMF courtesy of the True North Youth Foundation.
For more information on Hockey Fights Cancer, visit
winnipegjets.com/hfc
or get your tickets for HFC Night at
winipegjets.com/tickets
.
