An Airdrie salon is stepping up to support a local family facing an unimaginable journey after their infant daughter, known affectionately as Baby H, was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of eye cancer.
Bre Kaglar, a lifelong Airdrie resident and mother of Baby H, said the diagnosis of bilateral retinoblastoma came suddenly and required immediate action.
“She has two tumours in her eyes that are very cancerous. There were only six kids in Canada last year who had it, and it’s extra rare to have it in both eyes.”
One tumour was dangerously close to Baby H’s center vision and growing rapidly. An ultrasound revealed a second tumour—four times larger—in her other eye. The family was urgently referred to Toronto’s SickKids hospital, the only facility in Canada equipped to treat bilateral retinoblastoma.
“There are only two doctors in the whole country that can deal with it,” said Keglar. “Everything is sent to a board around the world that reviews her case to help with her plan.”
Presented with two options—removal of the eyes or chemotherapy—Kegler and her husband chose treatment. Baby H has undergone four rounds of chemotherapy at Alberta Children’s Hospital, followed by monthly trips to Toronto for ongoing focal eye therapy.
“They do a whole bunch of different treatments when we’re there,” Kegler explained. “They do an exam under anesthetic, photos of her eyes and the tumours, and inject dye to track tumour activity. Then they do cryo and laser therapy.”
To ease the physical toll of repeated treatments, the family opted for a port access surgery, reducing the need for constant IV pokes.
To help offset the high cost of travel, Great Clips Airdrie is hosting a three-day fundraiser from July 25 to 27. For every haircut, $10 will be donated to the family. Customers can check in using the Great Clips app to reduce wait times.
“We’ve been operating in Airdrie for just over 26 years,” said salon owner Lisa Metcalf. “When we meet customers in our salons like Bree, we want to do what we can to alleviate some of the stress in her life.”
Metcalf said the store’s mission is to “empower people to be the best they can be.”
“We just hope that helping even a little bit can allow her to just focus on her children and getting Baby H healthy again,” she said.
In addition to haircuts, cash donations will also be accepted in-store.
Keglar expressed deep gratitude for the support the family has received so far.
“Thank you to Air 106, Lisa, her fabulous team, and most importantly, the community. You guys have all rallied together for us, and we are so grateful.”
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