Imagine spending your 10th birthday in a hospital bed as you undergo intensive chemotherapy. Lily Lecinana sadly isn’t imagining the heartbreaking ordeal; she is living it.
In early April the plucky nine year old from just outside of Victoria began feeling ill. Her mother says fevers refused to break and stomach pains did not give way even when Lily had eaten nothing.
“OK, the kid hasn’t eaten anything in a day, she’s tired, she’s sick I should probably take her in and get her checked out,” Lily’s mother, Meredith Lecinana, told CTV News.
That hospital visit has yet to end.
After a round of tests, a doctor who Lily’s mother said was fighting back tears told them they should be quickly moved to B.C. Children’s Hospital in Vancouver.
Airlifted to Vancouver, Lily would face a new barrage of tests.
The outcome was what no family would want to hear. Doctors discovered the Sooke youngster had stage-four Burkitt lymphoma.
Specialists quickly told the Lecinana family to dig in for a long fight. Lily would likely need to spend months and months at the hospital.
“The type of cancer that she has must be treated aggressively and the only place to do that is here,” Meredith said from Lily’s bedside.
It's now well over a month since the diagnosis day and life for Lily is still a daily challenge.
Chemotherapy keeps her feeling constantly ill, and the prospect of months cooped up in a hospital away from friends and family is setting in.
Still, somehow the little girl's bubbly spirit shines through. Over a year ago, long before cancer was a personal reality, Lily told her mother she wanted to help someone else. The idea was completely unprovoked, her mother said.
The family decided that she would cut her long locks of brown hair and donate them so cancer patients can have wigs. Now that Lily is undergoing cancer treatment, the favour is being returned.
Four of her school friends have cut their hair and either donated it on Lily’s behalf, or given it directly to their friend.
“They are pretty special girls,” Meredith said.
Still fresh, Lily’s journey has caught the attention of the Canadian Cancer Society on Vancouver Island.
The Sooke girl has now been inducted as a 2019 Canadian Cancer Society Cops For Cancer Tour De Rock junior rider.
Each year, a team of police officers, firefighters, paramedics and guest riders tackle a massive ride in hopes of raising funds to find a cure for childhood cancer. Funds also go to send children like Lily to Camp Good Times. The specialized camp caters to children who are battling a variety of cancers, and also their families.
Friends of Lily’s family have launched a GoFundMe page to cover travel costs between Sooke and Vancouver. There is no indication of when she will get to return home.
