Hargun is a bright-eyed, joyful, funny, and determined little girl. She loves to read, draw pictures and play with her cousins.
Last fall, her family’s life was turned upside down after they received a shocking diagnosis no parent is ever prepared to hear. Only six years old at the time, Hargun was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
In one statement the unthinkable became their world: ‘your daughter has cancer’. Hargun began treatment immediately. Within the first day of her diagnosis, her doctor at CancerCare Manitoba explained there was an opportunity for her to participate in a clinical trial, right here in Manitoba, giving her access to the newest possible treatment. Her parents are grateful to generous donors to the Foundation that fund research and access to clinical trials for Hargun and other children like her.
After ten days, Hargun was about to leave the hospital and continue her long treatment journey from home when her parents noticed she had a fever. Things escalated quickly from there and within 24 hours Hargun had become severely ill with sepsis.
She needed immediate, life-saving care.
She was moved into the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and put on a ventilator the next day. Hargun spent the next five weeks in the ICU. Her parents describe this as ‘the scariest days of our lives’. At the time the doctors didn’t how long Hargun would be on the ventilator. A week, two months, six months? No one knew what lay ahead. Through all of it, her mom and dad never left her side.
Hargun finally started to slowly improve and by the end of January she was strong enough to leave the hospital and continue her treatment from home. Still, her journey with cancer was far from over.
Today, Hargun takes daily chemotherapy medication and has monthly visits to the hospital for intravenous medication. She also has regular visits for spinal taps which allows doctors to analyze and monitor her progress. She has good days and hard days as she continues on her path to becoming free of cancer and completing her treatment in February 2023.
Despite the tremendous challenges associated with battling cancer, Hargun has remained tough through it all, inspiring her family and others to be strong with her.
You can help doctors and scientists find answers by donating today. When you donate to CancerCare Manitoba Foundation, you make an incredible difference for cancer patients like Hargun and their families. Your support provides critical funding to operate a leading-edge cancer research centre that helps recruit the best and brightest cancer specialists to Manitoba.
