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The community in Kelowna is coming together to donate blood in the name of one very tough kid.
Lee-Ann Morcom, said her 9-year-old son Connor was diagnosed with brain cancer called medulloblastoma last February.
Over the course of his 10-month treatment, he required over 25 blood and platelet transfusions.
This moved family friends to get a blood drive going to raise awareness and replenish Canadian Blood Services reserves.
Morcom said Connor’s blood counts were so low at one point that he needed a transfusion and there weren't any platelets readily available at the hospital.
"They had to go to Blood Services to request them,” she said. “They were very low but they found them and brought them."
Connor was complaining of double vision and was blinking his eyes so the Morcoms started with a trip to the optometrist.
He was referred to an opthamologist, who noticed swelling in the optic nerve and referred Connor to KGH for a CT scan.
That's when doctors noticed a brain tumor.
They flew the family out to BC Children's hospital for a consultation and within two days he was having brain surgery to remove the tumor.
"It was really scary. When you're thinking it's just an eye problem, to go from that train of thought to realizing it's a brain tumor and then not knowing what type of brain tumor,” she said. "It plays a lot on your heartstrings.
“It's hard to wait that long to find out what is wrong with your child.”
Connor finished his treatment at the end of a November and was finally able to leave B.C. Children's Hospital.
In total, he went through 31 rounds of radiation to his head and his spine and six months of chemotherapy treatment. He spent 10 months in and out of hospital in Vancouver and he hasn't been able to return yet, especially since it's cold and flu season.
"It's something no parent ever wants to see, their child sick enough that they need to be hospitalized. It's just nice knowing that there is resources there to provide for that,” Morcom said.
His mom describes Connor as a fun, outgoing kid.
"He was playing hockey right up until the diagnosis, pretty much," she said. “Since then, he's kept his spirit and his smile and just carried on.
“He took all the little pokes and all his medicine like a little trooper. He really was a rock star throughout all of this.”
Connor has been in remission since radiation, and chemotherapy to kill any other potentially harmful cells.
"Since then, he's had a couple of MRIs and they've come back clear. Going forward, hopefully we just keep them healthy and he's good,” Morcom said.
The Courage for Connor blood drive runs from January 24th-31st, 2017.
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