William

William was a normal, happy two-year-old hitting all the milestones a toddler should.

In November 2021, he started to have pain in his legs, was easily irritated and had a decreased appetite. At first it seemed like he was having growing pains like his two older brothers had in the past, but William’s mom Hanna started to see the symptoms get worse.

William’s face started to have some swelling, so his parents brought him to a walk-in clinic. The doctor didn’t notice anything alarming, but suggested they go to the hospital if his symptoms worsen. Hanna had a feeling that something wasn’t right, so they took William to Saskatchewan’s Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital (JPCH) Emergency department just to be safe. It was there that much to his parents’ surprise, William was diagnosed with leukemia.

“I was in such a disbelief that it didn’t fully sink in until the next morning when I had to call my work saying that I won’t be able to go to work, indefinitely. It was definitely the worst feeling I have ever had as a parent to actually internalize that my toddler had cancer,” Hanna recalls.

William was immediately admitted to JPCH. His oncologist Dr. Georgina Martin and her team determined that he had acute myeloid leukemia and came up with a treatment plan within a week. It was intense, with William receiving chemotherapy everyday for a week, then recovering at JPCH for another three weeks. This cycle repeated itself four times within the next six months, with each treatment getting more difficult for the young boy each time.

It was the most difficult time in their family’s lives, but Hanna credits William’s recovery to the exceptional and empathetic care William received.

“We were very thankful for all the nurses and doctors who came to help us everyday. William was also not the calmest patient – he would often get angry when they came to check his vitals or give him medicine, but they were all so patient to attend to him,” Hanna said.

While William still has follow-up appointments, he is in remission and has been out of hospital for over a year. He is a happy 4-year-old who loves being able to keep up with his brothers, cousins and friends. Earlier this year, William and his family were able to visit Hanna’s home country, Indonesia, which he already can’t wait to visit again.