Kaitlin, our little Princess

I am Velise, great aunt to Kaitlin, sister-in-law to Darlene and Warren.

I would love to introduce you to Kaitlin who is an “absolute light and joy in this family” as described by her loving grandmother Darlene. Kaitlin is 12 years old and the 2nd of four children born to dad Derek and mom Amber. Kaitlin enjoys being the older sister to Emma and Riley, really, being a little mother to them both making sure they brush their teeth before they go to school. Papa Warren and Grandma Darlene always called Kaitlin their little princess and she absolutely loves that. As each of their grandchildren are special and unique in their own way, Kaitlin holds a special place in their hearts as being the first granddaughter and them not having a daughter. Kaitlin is a happy, loving young girl and is always playing pranks on papa and really enjoys beating him in card and board games.

This past week, a rash or possibly spider bites appeared on Kaitlin’s forehead. Within a couple of days, the rash turned into bruises. She had been more tired than usual, going to bed before bedtime. Then, on Wednesday, just before supper, she came downstairs after brushing her hair and said she had a lump on the back of her head. She said it wasn’t there in the morning, and it was huge. Derek took her to emergency where she was quickly admitted and soon after, underwent x-rays and a cat scan. They then transferred her to the General Hospital Pediatric ward. Another x-ray was completed on Thursday. Derek and Amber were told the Dr.’s had some serious concerns and proceeded to have another cat scan and ultrasound on Kaitlin. On Friday, after the ultrasound was completed, our worst fears came true when Derek and Amber were informed that Kaitlin had cancer. The lump on her head was a mass and there was also a large mass around her heart. She needed to be air ambulanced to Saskatoon as soon as possible. The bruising on her forehead spread to the side of her face and around the back of her ears. There also appeared massive bruising on her back. At 4 am she was transferred, but not until her siblings came to say goodbye. On Saturday, she was given a full body scan and identified the mass in her chest. She had lymphoma cancer in her neck. We are anxious for the Dr.’s to determine the course of treatment, hopefully Monday.

Due to the rapid chain of events happening, and Kaitlin, a much-loved member of the family now engaged in the biggest battle of her life, we are requesting your help. It would mean so much to us and it would help the family immensely as they are already in a very stressed situation. All funds will go directly to help the family of Kaitlin. Unfortunately, Derek and Amber do not qualify for the Ronald McDonald house. They need to have a precise diagnosis and treatment timeline. Unforeseen expenses to date are the air ambulance to Saskatoon, care and attention to Kaitlin’s siblings who remain at home for now, travel, food and accommodation for Amber and Derek, lost wages, maintain their bills, groceries and other household expenses as they are both missing work.

Please keep the Coghlan family in your prayers.