Mira’s Radiothon Story

Mira was inquisitive, adventurous miss whose beingness was characterized by wonder. She utilized this consciousness of wonderment and curiosity to substance her galore passions, specified arsenic reading, crafting, committee games and animals – particularly sloths and the ‘weird’ ones that nary 1 other seemed to attraction about, similar pangolins, weevils, shrimp, bats and spiders – arsenic good arsenic to foster the aforesaid curiosity successful those astir her.

In 2022, pursuing a seizure and 2 MRIs, Mira was diagnosed with a rare, assertive encephalon cancer: atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumour (ATRT). Despite however ample Mira’s tumour was, pediatric neurosurgeon Dr. Clare Gallagher successfully removed the full wide successful a seven-hour country astatine the Alberta Children’s Hospital.

Mira began aggregate rounds of chemotherapy to effort and support the crab astatine bay. The chemo was harsh and astatine assorted points during treatment, she suffered done nausea, neuropathic symptom and hairsbreadth loss. During her 2nd round, an corruption resulted successful a three-month admission at the hospital. Though this was a hard and lonely clip for Mira, her parents Bridget and Aaron talk fondly astir the peculiar radical who made the enactment a small brighter: Matt, Harrison and Linh from the Child & YoutH Interactive Media Program (CHIMP) were ever up for video games; Child Life Specialist Shannon would travel bent retired for bingo nights; Sparkle the Clown enactment connected magic shows; and Marc the Music Therapist would sojourn with antithetic instruments for Mira to play –  together they even composed a song about the things that made her happy.

Mira’s crab returned – aggregate tumours crossed her encephalon and spine. She underwent a period of radiation, which made her adjacent much nauseous. Though the radiation worked connected immoderate tumours, others were unaffected. She began oral chemo, which caused her to suffer her hairsbreadth for the 2nd time. As Mira’s wellness began to importantly decline, she and her household were capable to spell connected a privation travel to Costa Rica truthful she could conscionable sloths and later, pursuing much radiation, they were capable to sojourn Vancouver Island to spell whale watching. Though these were dense and challenging trips to take, arsenic Mira was losing her vision, mobility, appetite and energy, they inactive created immoderate important memories for Bridget, Aaron and her brother, Titus.

Mira’s last 2 days were spent astatine Rotary Flames House, the pediatric hospice crossed from the hospital. Though short, their enactment allowed the household to beryllium unneurotic and present, without interest oregon work for Mira’s information oregon aesculapian needs. The Rotary Flames House squad cared compassionately for the full household – meals were taken attraction of, Titus had radical to play committee games with, their beloved canine Ripley was by their broadside and of course, Mira’s comfortableness was apical priority. She passed distant connected October 11, 2024.

Mira contributed to advancing cognition by donating her tumour for probe and participating successful a University of Calgary survey astir the effects of carnal enactment successful young radical with cancer. Bridget and Aaron are passionate astir sharing their girl’s communicative and carrying connected her legacy. They are grateful for the galore antithetic specialists astatine the infirmary and Rotary Flames House who played important roles successful her life.