by Connie Tabbert
Editor
BEACHBURG — Dallis Delarge is a 21-month-old child going through chemotherapy.
Dallis is the granddaughter of Joanne Guenette who lives in Beachburg and Steve Delarge, and Tracy and Richard Verbruggen, who live in Airdrie, Alberta.
Dallis lives with her parents, Jason and Chantal (Wren) Delarge, and her soon-to-be born brother, in Airdrie.
Dallis has retinoblastoma, a rapidly developing cancer that develops from the immature cells of a retina, the light-detecting part of the eye. This is the most common malignant tumor of the eye in children.
Ms. Guenette said she was visiting Jason and Chantal in August when she noticed something was wrong with Dallis’ left eye. She was thinking Dallis may have a lazy eye, which is what Jason’s brother Kevin has.
They made an appointment with their doctor right away, because they had noticed that Dallis was constantly rubbing her eye and covering it with her hand, she said.
“I was there when the doctor’s grey face told us something was not good,” Ms. Guenette recalled. “He would have Sick Kids (Hospital) in Calgary contact them.”
Dallis went for an ultrasound on October 1 and they were advised she had cancer in her left eye, she said.
Dallis, her mom and dad, and Chantal’s mom, who lives near them, flew to Toronto on Oct. 3. They were flown to Sick Kids in Toronto because Calgary is not equipped to handle this type of cancer, Ms. Guenette said.
“Toronto is where the specialist is because it’s an aggressive and rare type of cancer,” Ms. Guenette said.
Following tests on that Friday, they were told the cancer was in both eyes, she said.
Since this type of cancer can be genetic as well as caused by a mutation, it won’t be known until after Dallis’ brother is born if he will develop the same cancer. If it’s genetic, he most likely will, Ms. Guenette said. If it’s a mutated gene, which means it started with Dallis, there’s very little chance he will have it, she added.
On Oct. 4, Mr. Delarge opened a facebook page titled Dallis’ Journey. Jason grew up in Cobden and Haley Station, while Chantal grew up in Douglas. A year ago, they moved to Airdrie where Jason now works at his father-in-law’s business. This facebook page is a way of keeping in contact with family and friends near and far.
On Oct.8, Dallis was scheduled to have the left eye removed, however, there was a change of plans. Eight tumours were discovered on the right eye, so the eye was not removed, Ms. Guenette said.
Dallis was then scheduled to undergo two days of chemotherapy. To prepare her for this, a port was put in her neck where the medicine would be pumped into her body, Ms. Guenette said.
On the facebook page, Dallis’ father wrote: The rating has changed from an A to a C. Chemotherapy will now be necessary. Good news with the bad, the vision in both eyes has a chance. If the large tumor in her left eye doesn’t respond to the treatments, it will then be removed. Duration has also changed, looks like four months of treatment and a life time of eye exams.
Ms. Guenette noted Dallis’ treatment will consist of one treatment every three weeks. However, each treatment consists of two days of five-and-a-half hours of chemo. And, there will be a minimum of four treatments.
She said Dallis will be re-assessed when the final treatment is over.
“This is absolutely heart-breaking,” Ms. Guenette said. “She’s still her happy-go-lucky self.”
But, she did admit, on the day she left Toronto to come home, it was a “bad day for Dallis. She can’t tell us what hurts.
“Where the port is, is still sore,” she said.
With the arrival of their son in less than a month’s time, the family is remaining in Toronto at Ronald McDonald House, she said.
“It’s now a waiting game,” Ms. Guenettte said. “If the baby has it, well, we’ll deal with that then. Right now, it’s just one day at a time.”
With a six-hour drive between Beachburg and Toronto, Ms. Guenette is thankful for modern technology and social media. She’s able to Skype with her family and keep informed through the facebook page as well as text messages. She will be going to Toronto on Oct. 31 to visit again.
Ms. Guenette said her son is now off work so he can be with his family. However, expenses and bills need to be paid. It’s great that 80 per cent of most medical expenses are paid by his workplace benefits, but the family still has to cover the other 15 per cent, she noted. The flight back and forth to the hospital (when they eventually get to go home), will be paid for, as will a taxi from the airport to the hospital.
The expenses that still need to be paid include the taxi ride to and from Ronald McDonald House to the hospital, food and just daily living expenses, including the nightly fee to Ronald’s house.
There are a variety of ways people can help this family if they so choose, she said. There is the gofundme.com, which is a way of donating directly to the family.
A friend posted this on Dallis’ Journey facebook page: If anyone is not comfortable using the “gofundme” website to make a donation, or if you don’t have a credit card but would like to make a donation, you can send an INTERAC E-TRANSFER using your online banking. It’s safe and secure. Send your e-transfer to: [email protected]. The minimum amount is $10.. Also, please keep in mind that this is a long journey for sweet Dallis and her parents Jason Delarge and Chantal Delarge. They will need support for several months. If we were all to send a small amount every payday, it would be a huge help. For example: If 100 people were to send $25 every 2 weeks, that would be $5,000 per month! Any amount you can send is greatly appreciated.
Ms. Guenette is selling four Avon Christmas balls for $10, and $3 of that is given to her son.
Family friend Amy Stewart, a Younique representative, is hosting a Younique Fundraiser online party for the Delarge’s until tomorrow (Oct. 24). She will send them all commissions.
Ms. Stewart wrote: I’d be so happy to send them a couple hundred dollars in commissions. All goes to them. No admin fees! Any questions please don’t hesitate to contact me! Please buy, buy and buy some more! Everything we can send them will help in some way. Here is the link: https://www.youniqueproducts.com/AmyStewart/party/713148/view
Ms. Guenette said she’s very thankful for those who are helping her family in any way they can.
“The Ottawa Valley is a generous community,” she said. “This is going to be a very long journey.”
