Chloë’s Cancer Journey

Updates from treatment, recovery, and the moments in between.

February – March 2026

February and early March brought an unexpected medical emergency that led to an ambulance ride and time in the ICU for Chloë. After a frightening week and many unknowns, she is now back on the oncology floor where the focus has shifted to recovery, rehabilitation, and slowly rebuilding strength one step at a time.

🚑 February & Early March Update — An Unexpected Ambulance Ride and ICU Stay

Mood

Still shaken, deeply exhausted, but grateful beyond words that Chloë is here and slowly finding her way forward.

This Month in Treatment

February began like so many other treatment months — busy, but routine. Chloë started Cycle 5 of 6 of chemotherapy. For the first time, part of that cycle was done as outpatient chemotherapy, which felt like a small but meaningful milestone. Instead of a multi-day hospital admission, it meant a very long day at the hospital and part of the following day before she could come home.

A week later, we attended follow-up appointments with Orthopaedics and Physiotherapy, and everything seemed to be progressing normally. But within 48 hours, everything changed.

Today marks one month since Chloë and I took an ambulance ride to CHEO. That morning she woke up with a sore throat — something that isn’t unusual after chemotherapy — and very low energy. Still, something felt different. Within two hours she went from talking and slightly confused, to non-verbal, and then intubated in the ICU.

Justin and I quickly fell into a rhythm of 24-hour shifts: one of us staying at the hospital with Chloë while the other cared for Charlotte and the dogs at home. The ICU team was extraordinary. It was an especially busy time in the unit, yet they treated Chloë with incredible compassion — even painting a small gecko on her door when they learned how much she loves reptiles.

The experience felt a bit like our cancer journey so far: being handed a ticket for a ride to a destination no one ever wants to visit. After one of the worst weeks of our lives — when we truly did not know what the outcome would be — she was finally stable enough to move one floor up, back to our oncology team.

She has now been back on the oncology floor for about three weeks and will likely remain there for some time. During this period, the team also kept her in hospital for the two weeks of her cycle that include Methotrexate, one of her chemotherapy medications that requires close monitoring.

How Chloë Is Doing

Chloë has been incredibly brave, but the ICU stay took a real toll on her body. The doctors believe there was damage to the nerve roots in her upper back and arms during that time, which has left her with weakness in her legs and on the left side of her body — particularly challenging since she is very much a left-hand-dominant kid.

Over the past few weeks she has undergone what feels like endless testing: X-rays, MRIs, CT scans, a nerve conduction study, and more medications than we can count. The days are often filled with a steady rotation of specialists — Oncology, Neurology, Social Work, Child Life, Psychology, Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, and others — all working together to help her regain strength and independence.

As her physical health has slowly improved, her mental health has understandably taken a difficult turn. Long hospital stays are hard for anyone, but especially for a child who just wants to be home. The team has been wonderful in trying to help find ways to motivate and encourage her. One of the ideas has been “Stitch Bucks,” inspired by Chloë and Charlotte’s shared love of all things Lilo & Stitch.

To add insult to injury, Chloë and I both somehow managed to pick up COVID while in the hospital. Because of that, I have had to stay away for a few days until it is safe to return, which has been incredibly hard for both of us.

Bright Spots & What We’re Looking Forward To

Despite everything, Chloë continues to move forward one small step at a time. Each therapy session, each bit of regained strength, and each day that looks a little more like “herself” again is something we celebrate quietly.

For now, we do not yet have an estimated date for when Chloë will be able to come home. The focus remains on helping her rebuild enough strength, mobility, and confidence so that when she does return, she can do so safely and successfully.

Gratitude

We continue to be incredibly grateful for the people surrounding Chloë. The ICU staff who cared for her during those terrifying early days, and the oncology, rehabilitation, and support teams who continue to work with her every day — they have carried us through some of the darkest moments of this journey.

Life Outside the Hospital

Life outside the hospital has mostly revolved around simply keeping our family moving forward day by day. Justin has continued working six days a week while stepping away when needed to help at the hospital. We are deeply grateful to his management, colleagues, friends, and team members for their flexibility and support.

Like so many families navigating serious illness, we are learning to live in the in-between — between hospital rooms and home, between progress and setbacks, between exhaustion and hope. And through it all, we keep going the only way we know how: one step, one treatment, one therapy session, and one day at a time.

Thank you for continuing to follow Chloë’s journey and for the kindness so many of you have shown our family.