In October 2022, two-year-old Maddison was diagnosed with a sacrococcygeal germ cell tumor – a tumor in her pelvic region. Her treatment resulted in remission in 2023, but that year also saw a relapse. These were years where Christmas was an afterthought. The treatment Maddison endured consisted of two different courses of chemotherapy, 30 days of intense radiation within a 3-month span, and two major surgeries to remove the tumor. The second surgery was unfortunately, unsuccessful. The treatment regime would be incredibly difficult for an adult, Maddison was only three at relapse. 

Thankfully, Maddison is a fighter and is currently in remission, but for the last two years, the Christmas season revolved around Maddison’s cancer treatments. Days that should have been filled with play dates, tobogganing and hot chocolate were instead taken over by hospital stays, making it to the next round of chemotherapy and many, many appointments. The energy to even think about Christmas was nonexistent. 

Thankfully the Kids with Cancer Society understands exactly what families go through, and the importance of creating happy memories during the holidays. Their Christmas Party, Secret Santa and financial support gave us a chance to breath, be around other families like ours and give our kids the chance to just be kids during the Christmas season and have fun, something that seemed so out of reach and likely wouldn’t have happened.