PROUD TO SUPPORT PRESLEY JANE MECHAM WESTERN RECIPIENT 1ST QUARTER 2023
Brokers Who Care voted and we are pleased to announce that we will be sending a cheque in the amount of $10,000 to Presley Jane Mecham and family, our Western Recipient of the 1st Quarter 2023 vote.
Thank you to McKay Wood for bringing this Cause to our attention.
The Nomination Story:
Presley was a normal one and a half year old. Cheerful, active, and busy, she was all go and no stop. The month of August 2022, however, proved difficult for her to function normally. After various trips to the ER on Aug 27th an unlikely nightmare, Presley had cancer and was diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia, an extremely aggressive form of cancer that can overrun one’s bone marrow, blood, and central nervous system in a matter of a few short weeks. The pain and trauma that Presely has endured over the past 6 months has been monumental.
She and her mother were flown to Vancouver within a matter of hours, joined the next day by Father Daylon, and her older sister Nova. Due to her weakened bones and muscles, Presley didn’t walk for the next few months, losing all of her hair and has spent much of the time in a hospital room, most of it sitting or lying on a bed.
She recently turned 2 years old (Happy Birthday) and has been progressing through her treatments like a champion. The chemo treatments however have degraded her immune system and she has had several extra visits to the ER just to help fight infections. A small bug can mean 10 straight days in the hospital. Once, she developed a colon infection and was not allowed to eat for several days. All nutrients had to come through the IV. When she first arrived at the hospital she had two different surgeries just to insert a port-a-cath that would work. The first port became infected and had to be removed. They later inserted a new on the other side of her chest. She now bears matching scars on either side.
In December, the treatments caused her adrenal glands to not function properly and she became hypoglycemic. Finger pokes every four hours and force fed juice or syrup when blood sugar got too low. Due to forced fasting and nausea from treatments Presley lost her appetite
as well. In order to get enough calories through the day she has been given a NG tube. A tube shoved up the nose and down into the stomach. She despises this more than treatments, needles, or ER visits. The tube has to be flushed throughout the day to keep it flowing. The
water stiffens the tube in her nose and causes an uncomfortable sensation as water she didn’t
drink hits her stomach.
Presley has a long way to go over the next few years but she is brave and determined and showing progress. She is now able to walk again which is a huge step forward. There will still be a lot of ups and downs but she’s happiest with both her parents and her sister by her side. It has been a big adjustment for the whole family to be present and 100’s of kms away from home (Vanderhoof).
In September, just weeks after her diagnosis the family moved into a newly purchased home that Presley has never been to and has been sitting empty for months. Mom has been the primary caregiver during this time and Dad is sole provider for the family. He has struggled to work remotely from Vancouver for the first several months. He has applied for a leave of absence but was not granted this and so last resort to try to qualify for compassionate care leave which is dependent on Employment insurance which is 55% of insurable earnings capped at $650 a week. Costs of a new home, travel, and prescription drugs have been staggering and the family is not sure what they are going to do to pay for the mortgage and support Presley in Vancouver. Ronald Mcdonald house has graciously provided accommodations in Vancouver but having used up most of their savings and with limited family support they are struggling to know the future, bracing for the worst and wondering if keeping their home with their new mortgage is what they should do. They are however committed to uplift and support their powerful 2 year old Presley who is the light and life of their world.
