'You become so strong': Duncan, B.C., family enrolls infant son in clinical trial to treat leukemia
A Duncan, B.C., family’s unsuspecting trip to the ER out of due diligence for their son turned into a shock they never imagined: Their infant was diagnosed with leukemia, launching a whirlwind of treatments and many months spent away from home.
“He has just been such a tough little cookie,” says Bennett Cleugh’s mother, Ashley Wager.
At just nine months, Bennett has already spent nearly half his life under the close watch of doctors in hospital.
“It started with just a little bit of vomiting,” says Wager. “A few days went by and he stopped eating completely [and] I was like, ‘I think now is the time to take him in.”
It was September 2023. Bennett’s father dropped Wager off at the hospital and returned home to put their toddler, Madeline, to bed. Within hours of that ER visit, the parents received a diagnosis they never saw coming.
“It was scary. I got a phone call from Ashley and she’s like, ‘Put Madeline to bed.’ I was like, ‘Oh no, what’s going on?’ and I had to call her back a half hour later,” says Bennett’s dad Gilbert Cleugh. “Bennett’s got cancer. I was like, 'There’s no way.'”
Bennett was flown to BC Children’s Hospital that night – where he continues to receive care months later.
“It doesn’t get easier but you become so strong,” says Wager.
The family says Bennett has gone through two rounds of treatment, which has included chemotherapy. Now they’re hoping a clinical trial for treatment linked with physicians in Seattle will put the boy’s cancer into remission.
BC Children’s Hospital says the Seattle-based treatment is known as CAR-T therapy.
“CAR-T therapy harnesses a patient’s own immune cells (T cells) to fight their cancer,” a spokesperson wrote in a statement. “To deliver this treatment, scientists must isolate T cells from a patient’s blood sample, genetically modify and activate the cells to improve their ability to recognize and attack cancer cells; they are then re-administered to the patient.”
CAR-T therapy is not standard care for cancer treatment in B.C., outside of clinical trials.
“So we’re the first ones that are able to do it here at BC Children’s Hospital which we’re so grateful for. It’s hard being away from home as it is,” says Wager.
They’ve largely had to relocate to the Lower Mainland while Bennett receives care. Wager was on maternity leave when her son was diagnosed and her partner has had to step away from sheet metal work to also support his family.
“They’re like, Family comes first, so don’t worry about your job. You have it when you come back,'” says Cleugh.
Their hometown community has helped raise thousands of dollars through a GoFundMe page to help cover lost wages, travel expenses, meals, and eventual home renovations.
A bottle drive is also being organized at Island Return-It’s Duncan location on Feb. 3.
“It’s been a terrible way to figure out how loved we are,” says Wager. “It’s been overwhelming. We’re so grateful.”
If Bennett’s treatment goes to plan, his parents anticipate he’ll receive a bone marrow transplant in March, which they hope puts him on track for a homecoming in June or July.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canada to launch 'national action plan' to fight auto theft
The federal government is launching what it calls its 'national action plan' to combat auto thefts, which will include stronger penalties for thieves, and increased information sharing between police agencies, government officials and border enforcement.
U.S. Supreme Court rejects appeal from former Guantanamo detainee Omar Khadr
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected an appeal by a Canadian-born former Guantanamo detainee who was seeking to wipe away his war crimes convictions, including for killing a U.S. soldier in Afghanistan.
Iran's president and foreign minister die in helicopter crash at moment of high tensions in Mideast
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and the country's foreign minister were found dead Monday hours after their helicopter crashed in fog, leaving the Islamic Republic without two key leaders as extraordinary tensions grip the wider Middle East.
Jury finds Andrei Donet guilty of second-degree murder in stabbing death of Montreal teen
A jury has found a 21-year-old man guilty of second-degree murder in the stabbing death of Montreal teenager Jannai Dopwell-Bailey outside his school in 2021.
What is BORG drinking, and why is it a dangerous trend? An expert explains
If you've been to a party lately and haven't seen someone drinking a BORG, you're likely not partying with college students.
The world's best airline is paying staff a bonus of 8 months' salary
Singapore Airlines will reward its employees with a bonus worth nearly eight months of salary, a person familiar with the matter told CNN on Friday.
Woman, 35, in critical condition after her truck collided with a Via Rail train near Montreal
A 35-year-old woman is in critical condition after the pick-up truck she was driving was struck by a Via Rail passenger train Monday morning in Quebec's Monteregie region.
Investors watching posts from 'Crytpo King' in the wake of fraud, money laundering charges
Former investors of the self-styled “Crypto King” say they are watching his social media accounts and worried his displays of wealth are signs he’s spending their money, even now, as another large expense tied to Aiden Pleterski has triggered a previously unreported lawsuit.
Britain slammed in inquiry for infecting thousands with tainted blood and covering up the scandal
British authorities and the country's public health service knowingly exposed tens of thousands of patients to deadly infections through contaminated blood and blood products, and hid the truth about the disaster for decades, an inquiry into the U.K.'s infected blood scandal found Monday.