A young Kamsack resident who has been given the nickname “warrior princess” by those closest to her, is going to be starting her second eight-week round of chemotherapy treatments in Saskatoon very soon.
A young Kamsack resident who has been given the nickname “warrior princess” by those closest to her, is going to be starting her second eight-week round of chemotherapy treatments in Saskatoon very soon.
At home in Kamsack for a brief time, between treatments for acute lymphoblastic leukemia, Zarah Gouge and her mother, Britney Durell, took time out to admire a quilt presented to them by the Kamsack Cancer Self Help Group. The quilt was hand-made by volunteers who are part of the Victoria’s Quilts organization, an organization wholly operated and driven by donations and volunteers.
While Gouge undergoes treatments in Saskatoon, her family is able to stay at Ronald McDonald House.
“It has become like a second home to us right now,” said Durell. “And every day is a struggle, with new things to learn. It’s a day-by-day process.”
On their website, it says the mandate of Ronald McDonald House Charities in Saskatchewan is to provide accommodation for families of sick children travelling to Saskatoon to receive medical treatment.
“We truly believe that having family by his or her side during an illness improves the health and well being of the child,” it said.
Durell is reluctant to say too much about Gouge’s progress right now.
“A bone marrow sample has not been done lately, so we have not been given an official update on her progress,” she said. “Aside from losing all her hair from the chemo drugs, my daughter also has lower energy levels.
“We thank the cancer support group for the quilt, and the members of the community for all the support we have received,” said Durell. “We hope that soon we will no longer have to be travelling back and forth for treatments.”
