Baby's eye cancer diagnosis tests Whitewood family's strength
Paislee Gettel was diagnosed with retinoblastoma four months after she was born
A Whitewood, Sask. couple thought this summer would be filled with joy and excitement, but instead it turned out to be one that tested their strength as a family.
Alecia Geres and Ryan Gettel went from celebrating the birth of their daughter Paislee Gettel, to receiving devastating news that she had retinoblastoma.
Paislee was just four-months-old on July 22, the day her mother received the diagnosis at the doctor's office.
"I knew something was coming, and it was just the worst thing they could have said is what he said." said Alecia.
"I walked out of there dumbstruck and in tears."
Retinoblastoma is a rare form of cancer in which a tumour grows on the retina. It's the most common type of eye cancer in children.
Emergency surgery
Paislee's eye was removed four days later, after chemotherapy proved ineffective.
"From Monday, when they looked at the cancer, to Thursday when they actually operated, it had grown," said Alicia.
Paislee has since been fitted for her prosthetic eye and tests came back that show she is cancer-free.
But the family is still waiting on test results that will determine whether or not Paislee has the RB1 gene. It is a mutation that makes those who have it more susceptible to cancerous tumours for the rest of their lives.
"It was the scariest thing I [have] ever heard of," said Alecia.
Donations cover travel, meal costs
Alecia said the one bright light in this whole journey has been the support from their friends and family.
They banded together and started a GoFundMe page. The page has raised more than $20,000 to support Paislee.
"It's overwhelming. It's absolutely overwhelming," said Alecia.
While the medical costs are covered, she said the donations have been crucial because the provincial government doesn't cover additional expenses like meals and travel.
"We need the support because [Saskatchewan] Health won't help us fly to Toronto to the Sick Kids Hospital. They won't help us. And flights in Canada are really expensive."
She said after they get the tests back and settled back at home, their next step is to return the generosity to another family.
"We're going to be able to pay it forward when it happens again because it has happened again in Moose Jaw. Another little baby has retinoblastoma and he is only two months old," said Alecia.