Three-year-old Mavrik’s battle with cancer is taking him south of the boarder for treatment.
Father Derek Turnbull said they were scheduled to return home in February after completing treatment and moving on to maintenance, but within an hour of leaving Vancouver, got a call from the Hospital saying he had relapsed.
Mavrik underwent two more rounds of chemotherapy, however, the tumour was resistant and required surgery, taking his right kidney and making cuts to get it away from the liver.
Turnbull said doctors didn’t have proper margins to say they got all of it, and are now going to Boston next week for a CT Scan.
“About 10 days after that, we’re going to be in Boston to do specialty proton radiation under their neuroblastoma radiation specialist.”
As to why they’re not getting treatment like this Canada or closer to home in the U.S., Turnbull said Canada is the only country in the G7 to not have this machine, with Boston being better equipped for resistant neuroblastoma tumours.
Turnbull said Mavrik, who is a hockey superfan, doesn’t mind the Boston Bruins, and is just along for the ride as long as he has his hockey sticks, and has the ability to play hockey and go to a park.
A barbeque fundraiser is also being held behind RONA (4150 Cowart Road) on Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. to raise funds for Mavrik’s travel to Boston.
Those unable to attend can also donate to their Go Fund Me, or reach out to them directly, with the information on the Mavrik’s battle with cancer Facebook page.
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