Becoming a father at the age of 40 was like the greatest gift from God for Benjamin Sanchez. So while his two-month-old baby is sick and receiving treatment for cancer at the Stollery Children’s Hospital, it’s to God he turns to for help.
“Deep in my heart, I always ask God, ‘I don’t need extra money. I need health of my baby,” said Sanchez, who says he is trying to stay strong from his family, but deep inside, feels the pain and stress of seeing his baby girl in pediatric intensive care.
Sanchez came to St. Paul from the Philippines two years ago, where he met his wife, Alma through the Filipino community. The couple married last year, and as both were approaching 40, they decided to start a family right away.
“When I heard she got pregnant, it was so exciting. I cannot explain my happiness. The greatest gift from God, it’s your baby,” he said with an exuberant smile, recalling the news of the day and the next few months watching their baby develop healthily in-utero.
With Sanchez working at the St. Paul & District Co-op and his wife working at Extendicare, the two began putting in more hours, to save money for their baby and her education.
When Jaminah was born two months ago, the couple’s happiness was complete.
“She’s a really happy baby,” said Sanchez, noting his daughter gave no sign of anything being wrong. However, in the summer, Sanchez and his wife noted that scratches she had made on her little face had faded, bar one. When that reddish mark persisted, they took her to a doctor, who assured them that nothing was wrong.
Even as the reddish mark grew, the couple was told not to worry, as it appeared to be a hemangioma. These are non-cancerous growths that form due to an abnormal collection of blood vessels but often disappear as the child grows.
However, Sanchez became more and more concerned as the hemangioma got larger, and as Jaminah developed other hemangiomas on her torso. On their third visit to the local doctor, he insisted on a referral to the Stollery, where they attended the outpatient clinic a few days later.
When the dermatologist looked at the baby, she too called it a hemangioma. But on lifting Jaminah’s shirt to examine the other hemangiomas, she right away said, “There’s a problem with your baby’s tummy,” Sanchez recalled.
Seeing the abnormality on the baby’s stomach, she called for an ultrasound, with Jaminah being admitted into emergency and sent into surgery two days later to remove a tumour. Jaminah was diagnosed with a neuroblastoma – a stage four cancer, for which she would need chemotherapy. It was, Sanchez said they were told, something that would not have been picked up on while the baby was in-utero.
News of Jaminah’s illness hit the family hard, but Sanchez said he has tried to stay positive, telling his wife not to cry and that everything will be OK.
“I just keep strong, but I’m really hurting,” he said, his voice breaking. While his wife is on maternity leave, Sanchez continues to drive back and forth between Edmonton and St. Paul so that he can continue to work and support his family financially. Thankfully, the Stollery has been amazing, with transparent care and support, he said.
Sanchez’s co-worker, Louise DeChamplain, said that when she and others heard what the family was going through, their hearts went out to them. She, along with other staff members at the Co-op, decided to have a bake sale, which they will hold this Thursday, from 10 a.m. onwards at the mall, as well as raffling off a Thanksgiving dinner, with turkey and all the fixings. Raffle tickets will be sold at six for $5, or a dollar apiece.
“I just felt it was really important to help this young couple. We thought it would be nice if we could pay it forward, and help them out.”
Sanchez said he was “so thankful” for the support, adding that despite the fact he is a relatively new employee, the Co-op has given him flexibility and told him if he ever needs to go to Emdonton, he should go.
“I’m so happy having my Co-op family.”
But while he is thankful to receive the fundraising support, it comes secondary to the other request he would make to others.
“If someone will offer help to us, great, but first thing we are asking for people is for their prayers,” he said, adding he continues to pray to see his daughter’s recovery.
