Hope for Tristin

Posted by admin1 | Filed under About Tristin

Tristin James DuRussel Loewen is a happy and easy-going one year old. His smile can light up a room. Having always been a content and cheerful baby, it has been an incredible shock to discover that Tristin is actually very sick. Tristin was born on September 5^th, 2007 in Thompson, Manitoba. His safe arrival brought great joy to his parents, Brad Loewen and Kristin DuRussel, and to his very excited two year old sister, Alyssa. Not strangers to tragedy, having lost their first child, Brandon, at 21 weeks gestation, Brad and Kristin felt blessed that Tristin had arrived healthy and was thriving.

Born with a dime-sized brownish lump, a hemangioma, on his inner left wrist, doctors assured Brad and Kristin that their son was fine. Hemangiomas are quite common, they were told, and may enlarge during the first year before beginning to shrink and eventually disappearing. It was nothing to worry about. Despite similar reassurances from numerous medical professionals, Kristin continued to feel anxious about the growth and requested a biopsy. For the most part, her concerns were dismissed. Prompted by the recent experience of a close friend whose toddler’s leg had been amputated due to cancer and by the loss of her own mother to cancer in 2005, Kristin pressed for more answers.

While an ultrasound and CT scan resulted in ‘inconclusive’ findings, the hemangioma on Tristin’s wrist continued to grow up onto his palm and half way down his inner forearm. Tristin adapted to the reduced flexibility in his wrist and began “bum-scooching”, instead of crawling, to move around. Just before his first birthday, the hemangioma ulcerated and began to bleed. Physicians remained positive and indicated that the hemangioma would now likely begin to involute and recede. Daily compression bandage changes were performed at the hospital but the hemangioma continued to bleed and Tristin’s parents pursued additional medical advice to possibly remove the growth.

Tristin was again seen in Winnipeg where surgery was discussed. Following more difficulties locating paperwork and ongoing TeleHealth appointments with physicians who supported continued compression bandaging, Tristin’s hemoglobin was dropping to dangerously low levels. With the help of a local nurse practitioner, Tristin was sent to Winnipeg for surgery to remove the hemangioma.

Requiring a blood transfusion to stabilize hemoglobin levels following surgery, Tristin recovered well and returned to Thompson with his family. The worst was over, or so they thought. When pathology reports on the hemangioma came back ‘inconclusive’ and an oncology appointment was scheduled to rule out cancer, fear gripped the family.

Their worst nightmare came true when another trip to a Winnipeg doctor brought confirmation of cancer cells in the hemangioma. A bone scan and spinal tap were negative but spots were found on Tristin’s lungs. “Ewing Sarcoma” the oncologist stated but added that they had also found cancer cells that they could not identify, which only served to add to the terror Tristin’s parents were experiencing.

Several rounds of chemotherapy over a six month period is the recommended course of treatment for Tristin. Brad and Kristin have also sought complementary support from a naturopath who will help them develop a diet for Tristin to maximize his ability to fight the cancer. Because Tristin is so young, his family is required to live in Winnipeg for the duration of his treatment in order to constantly monitor his health.

Our hearts are aching for this family. We want to help in any way we can. Please join us in supporting Tristin and his family.

*All donations will be used by the family to cover living expenses in Winnipeg and to assist with the care and treatment of Tristin.

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