ISABELLA AND HER FAMILY’S WORLD WAS TURNED UPSIDE-DOWN WHEN THEY DISCOVERED HER STOMACHACHE WASN’T JUST A STOMACHACHE. IT WAS A SYMPTOM OF CANCER.

In June 2024, Isabella was rushed from her home in Nakusp to BC Children’s Hospital in Vancouver. She would remain at BC Children’s—the only dedicated pediatric hospital in the province—until the new year.

Her parents and big sister Gabriella uprooted their lives in Nakusp to stay with her. Isabella has always been a spunky, brave kid, but the road ahead was devastatingly tough. She lost her ability to play, and she was far from the comforts of home. Thankfully, she had a big family of support—one that included countless people, from parents to nurses to therapists to oncologists and beyond.

ISABELLA HAD FOUR MONTHS TO PREPARE FOR HER “EVEREST.”

The next big step in Isabella’s journey was to remove a large Wilms tumour growing from her kidney. To do this, she’d need to undergo a major 8-hour surgery. “Lots of people have mountains to climb. Isabella had what we called her Everest—this one, massive event that she had to face,” said her dad, Brent. Her care team worked tirelessly to make sure she would be as ready as possible. But it wasn’t just them. Donor support has helped fund clinical trial research that directly benefitted Isabella.

“Clinical trials have taught us the importance of biology,” said Isabella’s primary oncologist, Dr. Carol Strahlendorf. “This helped us decide which chemotherapy treatments would be most effective for Isabella, among other important factors.”

These services include programs like child life, music therapy, pet therapy and therapeutic clowning, and they play a critical role in supporting kids’ emotional, mental and social wellbeing in-hospital.

These programs made such a strong impression on the girls that Isabella now wants to be a child life specialist when she grows up, providing specialized support to kids like her. And Gabriella? She was so moved by her art therapy experiences that she wants to be an art therapist.

HELP MAKE MORE KIDS MIGHTY.

Isabella is finally back home in Nakusp. She’s learning gymnastics, going to school, and enjoying her childhood—just as she should.

She’s come a long way, and her family is grateful for everything donors have done to change Isabella’s life, from fueling groundbreaking research to leading-edge surgical equipment to care programs like Child and Youth Therapeutic Services.

SEPTEMBER 20 WAS SURGERY DAY. IN TRUE ISABELLA FASHION, SHE WALKED INTO THE HOSPITAL LISTENING TO THE ROCKY THEME SONG.

She was ready, and so was her team. A large, diverse group of experts led by Dr. Sonia Butterworth filled her operating room. It was an incredibly complex procedure, every precaution had been taken, and they successfully removed her tumour—even the part that had wrapped into her heart.

Isabella had made it to the other side of the mountain.

Sometime after the surgery, she noticed a new L-shaped surgical scar on her torso, which her family all agreed stood for “Legendary.” After all, that’s exactly what Isabella was.

Since day one, Isabella has leaned on a key member in her family of support: her big sister Gabriella. “She’s Isabella’s rock,” said Brent. “Gabriella spent months away from her friends, school, and hockey. She chose to give it all up to be by her sister’s side.”

Together at BC Children’s Hospital, the girls have found moments of joy through donor-supported Child and Youth Therapeutic Services.