Meet Sophie
Meet Sophie!
She’s one tough kid with a BIG dream to climb higher!
Sophie has got to be the kindest, cheeriest, most mature little 10 year old that you will ever meet. She loves to run and play with her friends, and always puts 110 % effort into anything she does. She loves to bake and is a talented artist and painter. She excels in school, and is a friend to everyone she meets. She wants to build her own robot one day! Sophie's family enjoys camping, cooking, creating art, adventuring, going to music festivals, and playing lots of board games.
Last June, things changed for Sophie and her family. At the end of her grade 4 year, Sophie began to notice a pain in her right knee. The pain would come and go and didn’t seem to bother her much. Her family thought it was just growing pains. In July, when she went for a walk with her mom, Sophie started limping. Her mom took her to her family doctor to make sure it wasn’t anything serious. Unfortunately, it was serious.
With sadness and compassion in her voice, the doctor said that something was growing on Sophie’s knee. She called the Children’s Hospital first thing Monday morning to make an urgent appointment, and the family was off to Winnipeg the next day. What followed was a series of tests, scans, doctor’s meetings, two surgeries and countless trips to the city and even more sleepless nights filled with worry and anxiety.
On August 2nd, the family met with a pediatric oncologist at the Winnipeg's Health Sciences Centre. The final diagnosis was Osteosarcoma, or bone cancer. Chemotherapy started for Sophie the following week. Her treatment schedule is very rigorous as her cancer is malignant and aggressive. She will be receiving regular chemo treatments at the Health Science Centre, and had a major surgery on her knee this past November. The surgery, a “rotationplasty” took the tumour out, moved her ankle up to become her new knee and rotated her foot backwards. She is now learning how to walk again.
SOPHIE'S DREAM COME TRUE
NOTE: Sophie and her family have been through so much, and we want to do our part to make a dream come true for this very special family.
Sophie's first choice for a dream come true is a trip to Japan! Her mother lived in Japan for a few years and met her dad there. Her mother has told her many stories of living in Tokyo. She loves Japanese food and imagines all sorts of amazing food that she can eat in Tokyo, especially visiting her mom’s favourite ramen and sushi shops. Sophie loves ramen and sushi!
Sophie’s Gramma lives in Japan and Sophie has a strong connection with her. Her Gramma is an energetic, lovely 73 year old lady who lives at the base of a mountain called Mt. Takao. It rests at the very edge of Tokyo. Sophie’s Gramma often walks up Mt. Takao, and it is Sophie’s dream to hike up the mountain with her Gramma. This has been a dream of Sophie’s long before she had cancer.
Unfortunately, Sophie’s cancer has progressed further.
Since her diagnosis last year, Sophie has been through many rounds of chemo, a major surgery, and countless dreadful hospital visits. Sophie had also dreamed of renting an RV with her family, hitting the open road and going camping in British Columbia amid the ancient forests and the ocean. She wanted to find a cabin nestled in the woods and enjoy the peace of nature. To get away from the beeping of the hospital machines, the needle pokes and the concerned looks on doctors’ faces.
Last month, she was supposed to go into another surgery…but it was cancelled. The latest CT scans reveal that her cancer has spread throughout her lungs. Doctors say there’s no chance of getting rid of all the cancer. Nobody knows how much time Sophie has left.
With the Covid19 restrictions and extra vulnerabilities associated with her illness, Sophie spends her time at home. Her medicines have made her sensitive to the sun and her backyard has little shade. She dreams of spending more time outside…and with your help, her dream has come true!
Your generosity helped construct a backyard oasis for Sophie to enjoy with her family. She can now listen to the bird sing, enjoy the fresh air, and go camping, safely, right in her backyard.
Here is what Sophie's mom shared about their new space:
"Oh my gosh, the backyard has been amazing! We’ve had lots of socially distanced visits with family. Sophie’s been outside for more this past week than she’d been for the whole year. Her friend came over for a mega play date and they had a blast with slime making, playing charades, visiting, eating treats, and watching Spaceballs!"
This would not have been possible with the support of Livingstone Landscaping Ltd. Home Depot Brandon, Iron Age Welding, Expocrete, and you, our Dream Community. Thank you for making Sophie's Dream come true!
