A Campbell River family is asking for financial support during a potentially costly stay in Vancouver, where their infant son was diagnosed with leukemia on Monday.
Anna Dick, the mother of 18-month-old Andre Winter, has created a GoFundMe page to help offset the costs, and she says that anything will help.
“It sure is hard being away from home so we are looking for help with our financial situation,” Dick said in a write-up on the page.
Following a meeting with a doctor on Tuesday, she said the child will have to remain in hospital for six months.
When the family noticed that he was sick in January, doctors first thought it was growing pains or teething, she said.
He later went through a series of tests at hospitals in Campbell River and Victoria before being transferred to the BC Children’s Hospital late last week.
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Since then, Dick has been staying at a hotel with her three other children – ages three, six and 13 – while her spouse, Drew Winter, remains in the hospital with Andre. The medical crisis has forced Winter to take time off work.
Costs faced by the family include hotel fees, fuel for driving to and from the hospital, and daily parking costs of $14.25 – although the parking fee will initially be waived for a 30-day period, Dick said.
Travel between Campbell River and Vancouver is expected to be another big expense, she said, noting that she needs to pick up clothes and other items for her other three children, who are staying with her in Vancouver.
Dick said the family is also applying for help through various programs, including Cameryn’s Cause, a Campbell River-based charity that provides funds to families of children experiencing a health crisis.
They are also on the waiting list for places including Ronald McDonald House, which provides accommodations for families of seriously ill children at the hospital.
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