MONTREAL – A Montreal-area family is hanging on to hope after being told their daughter has a slim chance of surviving a rare form of cancer.
Chloe Jade Byer is just 6-months-old, and has spent the last 2 months of her life in hospital.
Her parents have been living at the hospital and are desperately trying to make ends meet.
They’re hoping a new crowdfunding campaign will help ease the burden on their family during the fight of their life.
“She’s suffering from something that’s called ATRT, which is a solid brain tumour” said her father Robert Byer.
“The survival is not great but we choose to believe that she will get over this and I know that she can do this.”
Chloe has undergone two session of chemotherapy since she was diagnosed in January.
She’s had surgery to remove one tumour in her brain and doctors recently detected a lesion in her spinal chord.
Her parents are determined to stay positive despite the fact that the odds are stacked against her.
“Well, the chances I think usually it’s less than 10 percent survival” said Chloe’s mother Cristina Carrier.
“We choose to believe Chloe is going to be part of the ones who will survive this cancer.”
Chloe’s mother has been by her side day and night since she was first admitted to the oncology ward at the Montreal Children’s Hospital.
“I spend the night here because she needs me, I’m still breastfeeding, pumping 4, 5, 6 times a day, so the fact that she’s an infant is more demanding for the mother and I think she’s the youngest one on the floor” said Carrier.
The family lives in Ile Perrot, and the toughest part for the parents right now is being so far away from their 6-year-old son Patrick, who spends most of his time with his grandparents.
“He’s even told the nursing staff that he hopes that they get his sister better, which we thought was pretty adorable,” said Byer.
The family’s focus is on Chloe’s fight to live, but Robert Byer and his wife are also very worried about finances.
Byer was recently laid off from his job and his wife’s maternity leave will soon run out.
“We can’t even afford the fuel for the family vehicle because of all this increased expense,” insisted Byer.
“My wife and I are very proud people and we were living normally before this ordeal.”
The crowdfunding campaign has already collected over three thousand dollars, and the family will clearly need it.
READ MORE: Quebec family resorts to crowdfunding for daughter’s adapted bath
Chloe still has another 4 rounds of chemotherapy ahead, meaning she’ll be in hospital until at least the summer.
“It’s a tough battle but we’re a strong couple I find,” said Carrier.
“We want to get through this and we will!”
While they’re counting their blessings, they’re also dreaming of the day they can all be home together again.
Comments