Last May, Claire Masikewich and her family received some devastating news.
She had taken her five-year-old daughter, Sloane, to the hospital after the young girl complained of leg and groin pain, which was accompanied with a fever.
“She was diagnosed with Stage 4 high-risk neuroblastoma,” said Masikewich. “When you’re told your child has cancer it’s a whole flood of emotions. It’s that out-of-body experience.”
Every year in Alberta, close to 240 young people are diagnosed with cancer, and it is the number one disease killing children.
Sloane was given a 12-18 month protocol, which meant the fun-loving, goofy girl would be spending much of her time fighting cancer at the Alberta Children’s Hospital. The now six-year-old has been through multiple CT scans, MRIs, biopsies and most recently a stem cell transplant.
“She’s an incredibly brave girl,” said Masikewich.
Her strength has inspired the slogan “Strong Like Sloane.”
After learning that only seven per cent of all cancer research fundraising dollars are directed at pediatric cancer, Masikewich wanted to raise awareness in Alberta.
She entered a Strong Like Sloane team into the upcoming Calgary Marathon, with an initial goal of raising $5,000. That quickly jumped to a goal of $20,000 as more and more Albertans joined the cause.
Both Sloane and her older sister, Indy, ran in the marathon the year before Sloane was diagnosed. They love running together.
“I’d like to have super speed,” said Sloane, when asked about her superpower. Indy opted for invisibility so she could “run past everybody without them noticing.”
Normal days are the best days, according to Masekiwich, saying she had her family look for the “light in the darkness.”
The Strong Like Sloaneteam has raised close to $12,000 as of Feb. 15, which is International Childhood Cancer Awareness Day. The funds raised will be funnelled through the Alberta Children’s Hospital, and be directed towards the new Riddell Centre for Cancer Immunotherapy in Calgary.
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