A Vernon family is looking for sunshine to help its Rhayne.
A family friend has organized a for a 10-year-old Vernon girl name Rhayne, who is battling a brain tumour.
In an update on the campaign, organizer Rachel White said Rhayne’s tumour is growing, a cyst has returned, and another surgery on her brain is slated for Jan. 30. Rhayne and her single mom, Mira, will fly to Calgary this weekend.
“We are sharing this story broadly and encourage you to do the same, in order to gain the most support we can for this family,” wrote White.
Rhayne’s story began in the summer of 2023.
Mira and her daughters were visiting Mira’s sister in Calgary. Rhayne had been suffering for weeks before with an on-again, off-again illness along with other strange symptoms including not eating and feeling very, very sick. In Calgary, on Aug. 4, Rhayne was complaining about her entire body feeling number, and she was having trouble speaking.
Mira had seen enough. She couldn’t stand to see her child so sick and so scared any longer.
Mom took her daughter to Calgary Children’s Hospital and would not be leaving, she told herself, without an explanation for her daughter’s physical illness and uncharacteristic mood swings.
Mira got what she wanted, a diagnosis, but not one any parent would wish for: there was a tumour on Rhayne’s brainstem – pilocytic astrocytoma.
“The relief with this news was that it finally explained all of the physical illness that Rhayne had been having the past several weeks and the other, smaller symptoms that had been showing for several months, if not longer - symptoms that repeated trips to the family doctor, emergency department and pediatrician had been unable to diagnose,” said White. “Finally, they had an answer. But it was the scariest and worst answer they could imagine.”
Within an hour of seeing the doctor at Calgary Children’s Hospital, a CT scan was ordered and results were almost immediate. The tumour required urgent surgery 36 hours later after they reduced some of the swelling in her brain.
The next 36 hours was a stress-filled whirlwind with a mix of emotions – relief of finally having answers, fear for the outcome of the delicate surgery required, and gratitude for the medical staff in the hospital.
“Mira barely slept. She never left Rhayne’s side and she prayed for her daughter’s recovery,” said White.
Rhayne spent almost two weeks in the Calgary Children’s Hospital after surgery with her mom and family by her side, working with many specialists in the neurosurgical team.
She is now recovering at home, gets tired quickly as her body is healing and will require future scans and appointments which may also involve chemo or radiation (unknown at this time). They were able to remove approximately 90 per cent of the tumour.
Mira is a professional interior/exterior painter in Vernon. As a single mom, this allows some flexibility to be available for both of her daughters, however, Rhayne’s previous episodes of illness where Mira was not able to work for a good part of July and August have already left her budget stretched thin.
At this point it is unclear how much more rehabilitation Rhayne will require. Mira will remain by her side for as long as it takes and although she has some limited family support for child care, it will mean difficulty in her ability to reliably schedule work in the coming months as Rhayne eases back to school and her healing appointments.
Funds raised from the gofundme campaign will assist Mira in paying her rent, groceries and bills, to help with upcoming medical follow ups/travel to Calgary, specialist appointments for rehabilitation therapy and to purchase Rhayne a Chromebook to assist with her schooling.
“Please donate what you can,” said White. “Even $25 from many people will add up quickly and help so much.”
To donate visit .
A total of $2,655 toward a goal of $20,000 had been donated as of Friday, Jan. 26, 11:15 a.m.
