“I was in Saskatoon on a work trip, and I got a call at about four in the afternoon from our family doctor who just received his blood tests, and he said, ‘Joe, we got some news about Jasper.’”
What Joe Byers heard from the doctor next would alter his family’s world.
His seven-year-old son, Jasper, was diagnosed with leukaemia.
For Joe, the development was “terrifying.” He said that immediately, since he grew up in the 80s, his mind went to Terry Fox as well as the friends that he had seen succumb to the condition.
“The first thing I said to the doctor was, ‘Well, it must be a death sentence,’” he said.
‘You have to get to the Children’s Hospital now’
Although Joe’s doctor assured him that the treatment for leukaemia had come a long way and that there was hope, time was still of the essence.
Jody Byers, Jasper’s mother, received a pressing directive from the doctor.
“[He said], ‘You have to get to the Children's Hospital now. They're waiting for him,’” she said. “Between the phone call when the doctor told me and when we pulled into Children's Hospital, it was 5 hours.”
The startling beginning, which occurred in March, led to the journey that the Byers family is still on today. For Jody, the whirlwind has hardly left time to come to terms with the situation.
Amidst the flurry of events, one source of support has been the community — it banded to support a family going through the unthinkable.
Test after test
To reach the reality that the Byers are currently living, Jasper underwent a significant number of tests in the Children’s Hospital. Things happened quickly. His mother said that within twelve hours of being in the hospital, Jasper had his first chemotherapy treatment.
“It was just test after test after test, trying to see how far it was and where it all was and everything like that,” she said.
According to Jody, it took a total of one week for all the tests to be completed to determine the severity of the leukaemia.
Navigating treatment
With the tests completed and the treatment plan in place, the Byers family was informed that the first treatment cycle for Jasper would last 2.5 years.
Jody said the family will travel to Winnipeg at least once a week to visit a doctor for the plan, and Jasper will also stay in the hospital for 21-day periods for the next four months.
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The schedule is arduous in many ways, especially for the young patient, who often struggles to enjoy childhood from a hospital room.
“We try really hard to let him kind of voice his frustration. Hopefully, in a constructive way, [but] sometimes it's not very constructive, [which is understandable],” said Jody.
“Thankfully, the nurses and the medical staff have been great. They understand that kids are frustrated and angry and confused.”
Financial hurdles
Another side of the adversity that the Byers family is facing is the financial ramifications of their circumstances.
Jody said that while the family stays at the Ronald McDonald House, there are still costs associated with lodging, food, and transportation.
A considerable cost — specialized medication — was also a concern for the family.
“While [Jasper] was in the hospital, he came down with a fungal infection in his lungs, and that's what this expensive medicine is for right now,” said Joe.
Jody said that the medication that comes at a higher cost is necessary because it’s the type that can work alongside chemotherapy.
“It is just shy of $1000 a week for the dosage he's on, and he's going to be on it until he's at the end of treatment, so at least another two years,” she said.
Jody said that once one hits their deductible based on household income, Pharmacare will cover the remaining amount, but there was still the question of how the family of 13 would cover the $6,000 required.
A community’s care
It was here that the community stepped in.
Jody said that the amount was raised in about a week, thanks to the immediate reaction of the community.
“It’s very humbling as parents to see that we don't just have a community behind us, but we have a province behind us as well."
-Joe Byers on the support his family has seen from Manitobans.
She said she’s thankful for the show of support.
For Joe, it’s touching.
“We had kids who went and had lemonade stands for Jasper and raised $30 from him,” he said.
According to Joe, support has poured in from all over.
“It’s very humbling as parents to see that we don't just have a community behind us, but we have a province behind us as well," he said. "There are a lot of people from all over the province who have pitched in and helped with Jasper's medication.”
Now that the medication is covered, the Byers family still has its GoFundMe open for donations for its other costs, including transportation to appointments in Winnipeg once or twice a week for the foreseeable future.
What’s next?
When it comes to how the family plans to tackle moving forward in its journey, it will come down to faith.
“I think the first two weeks for sure, there was a lot of soul searching and really trying to come to terms with it, and we basically just gave it to God,” said Joe.
With files from Ty Hildebrand