Karl and Tracey Bueckert of Arbhakka prayed for another child after their son Myles was born. Ten years later, in 2019, their prayers were answered with the birth of Elliott.
Tracey called him “an answer to prayer.”
“He was just a funny little guy—determined. He was a climber, which was unusual for us because his brother wasn’t. He loved being outside, in the garden, splashing in puddles. He loved his chickens, dogs and cat, and was always trying to pick up the cat, even though it was bigger than him. It was hard to keep him indoors—he was full of energy and so much fun.”
Throughout the summer of 2023, Elliott would develop fevers roughly every three months. At the end of June, doctors told the family he had a virus. But the stomach pain and fever persisted. By August, his stomach was still swollen and hard on the left side.
'Something was not right'
Tracey took Elliott to see their family doctor.
“She wanted an X-ray, but living in a tiny town, our X-ray department had closed at noon, so we weren’t able to get one,” Tracey said. “She called the next day and said not to worry about the X-ray, but asked, ‘Can you come for blood work? I’m going to send you for an ultrasound at Children’s Hospital to see when they can get you in—hopefully soon.’”
That afternoon, they received a call from the Children’s Hospital requesting them to come in the following day.
On Sept. 20, a mass was found in Elliott’s abdomen.
“He was still happy and playing. But in hindsight, he had slowed down. Looking back, he was walking slower, getting more tired, and not eating as much.”
'It was scary'
The atmosphere shifted in the ultrasound room, Tracey recalled, and she knew something was wrong. The lab technician gave Elliott a popsicle and took him for a walk while Tracey met with the oncologist, who confirmed they would be checking for cancer.
She told her dad, who had driven them to the hospital, that they wouldn’t be going home. Then she called Karl and told him to come to the hospital.
“When they said it was cancer, it was just scary and overwhelming—you just didn’t know what to expect.”
Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Support Group
They stayed in the hospital until the Friday before Thanksgiving. When they arrived home, a package was already waiting for them in the mail from Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Support Group (CCCSG). It included a blanket, coffee mugs, a water bottle, a grocery gift certificate, and other helpful items.
Bueckert said knowing someone was there to help lighten the load—even just in the background—made a difference, especially as they were feeling “fairly alone,” despite going through it together as a family.
Living in a rural community two hours from Children’s Hospital, she is grateful for the parking passes and other support from CCCSG, as well as a place to stay at the Ronald McDonald House. She said being nearby helped with early morning appointments and made things easier for Karl, who was driving back and forth to care for the farm.
After Thanksgiving weekend, a biopsy revealed the tumour was very close to Elliott’s spleen. He returned to Children’s Hospital the following Tuesday for chemotherapy, with the goal of shrinking the tumour enough to safely remove it.
The tumour shrunk by 30%
Just before his fourth birthday in November, doctors removed a 1.1-kg tumour from Elliott’s little body.
"It's scary going into surgery. Very scary. And it didn’t get easier over time because he had a few surgeries. The first one was the scariest, and the second one was also the scariest. They're all just scary," she admitted. "Surgery is huge, and you don’t know what they’re going to find or what’s going to happen.
"He did really well. Our surgeon was amazing."
She noted that managing pain and life for an active little boy presented challenges during his time in the hospital, but despite the circumstances, Elliott handled it incredibly well.
Bueckert values the connections made with other families at the hospital who were going through similar journeys, as well as the support they received from Candlelighters. Whether it was a quick answer to questions or the exciting Tuesday mornings when pastries and fruit were delivered to CK5, or the Thursday suppers that provided families a break from the hospital cafeteria food, the support was invaluable.
Stem Cell Transplant
At the end of December 2023, Elliott had another CT scan, which revealed spots in his lungs. He had to undergo a biopsy in January 2024, during which a small part of his lung was removed for testing. The biopsy confirmed that cancer had spread to his lungs while he was still on treatment. As a result, their initial course of action was put aside, and they proceeded with a stem cell transplant.
Using his own stem cells, the doctors gave them back to him after he had chemotherapy, Bueckert explained. He then began radiation treatments. Elliott stayed in the hospital from January until the end of March, when he was given the "all clear." By June, the cancer was gone, and his scans were clear.
He was sent home to enjoy the summer, with only regular appointments.
"He was eating. He didn’t need his feeding tube anymore. He was doing really well, going nonstop, mostly outside, in the garden. He loved, loved, loved the garden—planting, weeding, picking potato bugs, and watching things grow. We planted corn, and two days later, he was asking when he could eat it, but it wasn’t big enough yet."
By August, he was getting more tired and more 'blah'
"He was trying to fall asleep in church, and we thought, 'Hey, something doesn’t seem right.' But he was still acting okay—just more tired. Then, on a Sunday night, Karl and I looked at each other while watching him breathe. We realized his breathing had changed. It was really fast. It didn’t feel normal."
The next day, they took him back to the clinic.
It was confirmed that something wasn’t right, and he had a chest X-ray to check for pneumonia.
'Cancer had come back with a vengeance'
After a CT scan, it was determined that the cancer had returned. Bueckert said that in June, there was nothing, but by August, it had grown significantly and was affecting his breathing.
"He was just sleeping, and we didn’t know if we’d ever get to see him smile or hear him say 'I love you' again. That was really hard. Hearing them say that the cancer had come back... It actually felt worse than the first time. The first time was terrible, but this was just worse."
Bueckert said they were told in the spring that the cancer would likely come back because Elliott had Li–Fraumeni syndrome (LFS), a rare genetic condition that increases the risk of several types of cancer.
Knowing it could happen was always in the back of their minds, but they didn’t expect it to return so soon.
"Once they got the pain under control, he woke up more and started doing really well. We were then put in touch with the palliative team because there were no other options left for Elliott."
Her voice cracked, and the weight of her grief was palpable as she paused before continuing.
"Our options were to focus on giving him quality of life. It was really hard to meet with them because, once you do, you know there will be an end, sooner than anybody wants."
Elliott went back on chemotherapy to try to shrink the tumor, relieve the pressure, and bring him to a stable level. It worked.
Going home
Other than a few short trips home—one of which resulted in the family turning around shortly after arriving to return to the hospital—Elliott was mostly in the hospital. This was hard for everyone, but there were a few good stretches at home.
"He got to eat the corn he planted. We got home, and the first thing he wanted to do was not come inside. He needed to go to the garden to pick corn, and he had to check out the garden." She wiped the tears from her eyes. "He had to eat the corn right then and there—peel it and start eating it."
She recalled pushing him in a stroller to the ditch where he liked to throw stones.
Bueckert said turning 5 is quite special.
In November, Bueckert asked family and friends to throw Elliott a Rainbow Dinosaur birthday party for his 5th birthday, just before another round of chemo.
He had asked Bueckert’s sister to make him a cake.
"He was very excited about turning 5, but it was really hard knowing that we were planning our child's last birthday party."
A cousin found a dinosaur costume, and when Elliott woke up that morning, there was a birthday message on the whiteboard in his room. The nurses and doctors came in to say happy birthday. He didn’t want anyone to sing too loud, so they whisper-sang to him.
"He was just grinning, so happy. We made it a special day for him in the hospital, as best as we could."
December 2024
He did get to go home, play in the snow, and help set up the Christmas tree.
"He loved it. He just smiled the whole time. He absolutely loved it."
"Getting in the car, everything just felt different. Getting in the car like that was just different."
Thanks to a Brooke and Koda Iced Tea Stand in Steinbach, Karl was able to stay with the family without having to go to work.
Elliott’s little body wasn’t recovering enough to start chemo again, and neither were his blood counts. His body was tired, even though he was still smiling and playing.
"I once asked the doctor, 'How do you know when it’s time to be done? When it’s time to stop?' His body was telling us that it was tired, and it was not recovering as well."
Elliott’s body made the decision on December 29, 2024, when he peacefully passed away.
Gratitude
She expressed her family's gratitude for the care they received at CH, where they were able to spend Elliott’s last days together as a family. She also expressed thanks for the prayers and support from family, friends, and their church.
"When he was diagnosed the second time, we thought we were going to lose him then. We prayed and prayed and prayed, and God blessed us with another four and a half months. Unfortunately, he wasn’t healed on Earth, but we fully believe he was healed in Heaven. So, knowing that helps a lot."
Bueckert is grateful for everyone who supported the Candlelighters' Online Auction this spring. The Bueckerts are one of seven families who have lost a child since December in Manitoba. Some of the funds raised go towards supporting these families and others going through the childhood cancer journey.
Bueckert was pleased to donate her own items, along with items donated by family. A birdhouse, a tool kit, and a blanket in memory of Elliott were among the items they contributed.
Still clinging to hope
"In December, when we were home at the beginning of the month, Elliott asked Jesus into his heart," Bueckert said. Knowing he is in Heaven has brought them peace, though she quickly added, "It doesn't make it easier, because it's not easy."
She said the hope comes from knowing God is with them and won’t abandon them.
