BLOG: Sunny's Story - Hockey Fights Cancer

At five years old, Sunny is a bright, energetic little girl surrounded by a loving family. At the beginning of this year, her parents grew concerned after she became ill and was experiencing fevers and flu like symptoms. Her doctor prescribed antibiotics, but after two weeks, Sunny’s fever only grew worse. Her mom’s instincts told her something wasn’t right. Despite multiple doctor visits and different medications, Sunny’s condition continued to decline.

Finally, a visit to the emergency room one night changed everything. Following blood work and scans, Sunny was admitted to the hospital for further testing. After two weeks, the family heard the words no parent is ever prepared to hear – their daughter had cancer. Sunny was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Sunny began chemotherapy right away. Within a few days of treatment, the symptoms she had been experiencing started to subside. Her parents breathed a sigh of relief seeing her fever finally go down. Over the next several months, Sunny went through six cycles of chemotherapy. There were difficult moments — nausea, fatigue, countless hospital visits — but her courage never wavered.

Today, Sunny has completed treatment, and her scans are clear. She continues to have regular checkups, and her care team will monitor her for the next five years. Her family is filled with hope that the cancer will never return.

Now in kindergarten, Sunny’s energy and love of learning have returned — she insists on going to school every day. Surrounded by her parents, grandparents, and brothers, she’s thriving once again.

Sunny’s family is grateful for access to expert care, advanced treatments, and a compassionate medical team at CancerCareManitoba that guided them through every scary moment. Thanks to the generosity of donors, children like Sunny are not only surviving cancer—they’re smiling, learning and dreaming again.

Jets fans can contribute to the important work of CancerCare Manitoba Foundation toensure kids like Sunny get access to treatment, right here at home. November is Hockey Fights Cancer month, and the Winnipeg Jets are supporting the initiative with several in-game fundraisers throughout the month. It all culminates with the Hockey Fights Cancer Game Sunday, Nov. 23 when Sunny and our HFC youth ambassadors are celebrated.

To buy tickets for the game click on the link below:

winnipegjets.com/tickets.