Serenity Fabrick-Kequahtooway attends school like all kids her age, but the nine-year-old will occasionally come home in a lot of pain.
“She’s been going through this since she was seven,” said Sharon Fabrick, Serenity’s grandmother and primary caregiver.
Serenity is battling ovarian cancer. Her grandmother is considering taking her to the United States for treatment and she’s raising money online to pay for the trip.
In the spring of 2016, Fabrick noticed Serenity’s stomach had gotten bigger. Within eight weeks, she looked like she was nine-months pregnant. Serenity’s family doctor ran her through an x-ray, an ultrasound, and a CT scan. Within three weeks of her first doctor’s appointment, Serenity was in Regina to see a pediatric surgeon.
“At that time, the doctor said...he was 99 per cent sure it was cancer,” Fabrick said.
The doctors thought the main problem was teratoma (a tumor that usually occurs in ovaries and testes). Serenity went under the knife and the surgeons removed a five-pound tumor from her stomach, which resulted in the loss of her left ovary.
Since then, Serenity’s had two more surgeries and three separate rounds of chemotherapy. Each round lasted for 6 and half hours per day for three days.
Unfortunately, the cancer has continued to return. In August and October they found tumors on her right side and in her lungs, respectively.
“Her oncologist in Regina literally said, ‘This is beyond me,’” Fabrick said.
Serenity was sent to Winnipeg, but after a brief consultation, she was sent back to Regina.
“She’s kind of getting tossed around,” Fabrick said.
Fabrick sent Serenity’s file to Toronto’s SickKids hospital. She’s waiting to hear back from then.
“If none of them can do anything, our only option is the States,” she said.
Fabrick reached out to the Mayo Clinic, a medical practice and research group based in Rochester, Minnesota. After looking at Serenity’s file, they wanted to book her for an appointment.
“Just for an appointment it’s $7000 US,” Fabrick said. “Almost $9000 for our Canadian dollar.
“Some of these tests can run for $5000.”
It’s a huge expense that doesn’t include travel or living costs.
“There’s no guarantee that they’ll admit her or do anything,” she said. “It’s touch and go.”
Fabrick started a GoFundMe page to support Serenity’s health costs. At the time of this writing, it’s raised over $9000.
“The response has been amazing,” Fabrick said. “I’m still in shock.”
The whole ordeal has been trying on Serenity and Fabrick.
“When we came home from Winnipeg...[Serenity] said, ‘I don’t want to do this anymore,’” Fabrick said. “I don’t blame her.
“She still tries.”
Anyone interested in donating to Serenity’s cause can contribute at www.gofundme.com/serenitys-ovarian-cancer-journey. Fabrick is also accepting e-transfers at samorama6@hotmail.com.
