Anguished mother-in-law's plea for help

Enlarge Image

Kaleena Hudon, with husband David and daughter Hailey, hopes to go to Pittsburgh for clinical trial. (JOE.BRYKSA@FREEPRESS.MB.CA)

There are thousands upon millions of people battling cancer in this world.

All of them worthy and special in their own way.

But there's something about Kaleena Hudon's story that got to me.

It arrived this week by email.

Originally the email was sent by Kaleena's mother-in-law, Christine Logan, as an appeal for help from friends and co-workers. After reading it, they sent it to other friends and family. The letter was accompanied by a striking photo of the young family, which is where Christine began.

* * *

"The picture above is of my family. My son David, my daughter-in-law Kaleena and my beautiful granddaughter Hailey.

Kaleena is a young, vibrant beautiful woman who, up to a couple of months ago, had her whole life in front of her. Four years ago, at the age of 21, Kaleena was diagnosed with melanoma.

She had surgery to remove the tumor from her arm. Since then Kaleena has been seeing her oncologist regularly and each time has received a clean bill of health.

Around the same time she met my son, they fell in love and moved in together, planning to be married when Kaleena finished her schooling.

Last fall, she gave us the good news that we were going to be grandparents and on May 7th of this year gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. Unfortunately, the good news was marred with a frightening discovery.

Right after Hailey was born, Kaleena discovered a small marble-type growth on her ribs. She was almost due for her six-month checkup at the oncologist, so she showed it to her when she went to CancerCare. It was immediately removed and a biopsy performed.

In mid July, we were told that it tested positive for melanoma. She was then sent for a CT scan.

On July 29th, we found out that the cancer was in her lymph nodes, stomach, lungs, chest, arm and neck. That news was devastating.

No one for one moment thought that her body would be so full of cancer. On the outside, Kaleena is the picture of health. She is vibrant, happy, such a strong person.

Now we are being told that this beautiful 25-year-old woman, the mother of our five-month-old granddaughter, is dying... "

* * *

It's one thing to read those words. It's another to actually meet and speak with Kaleena and Dave in their little starter home in St. Vital.

As I arrive, baby Hailey is playing bouncing baby girl in her Jolly Jumper as Grandma Christine keeps watch.

For the next hour, they share how they met three years ago at a Smitty's where she was tending bar.

How they gradually fell in love and how Hailey arrived unexpectedly.

About both of them being there when the doctor told Kaleena that the cancer hadn't reached her vital organs yet.

But there was no cure.

About how they planned their wedding in five weeks. The ceremony, on Sept. 26, was even quicker. It happened so fast, in fact, the 175 guests who stood when Kaleena walked down the aisle didn't have time to sit down before she was walking back up.

"It's changed things in our life," Dave says. "But it hasn't slowed us down at all. If anything, it's sped us up. Instead of just sitting around talking about stuff, we just do it."

Kaleena finishes her husband's thought. "Before you know it, it might be too late. Because you don't know you're going to have the chance next week or next year. Or tomorrow."

Then she added this: "I've always felt your life is planned out before you're born."

That doesn't mean she's giving up.

Her only chance for at least prolonging her life is a clinical trial available in Pittsburgh -- three session of three weeks each. Manitoba Health will pay for the treatments and the couple's airfare. But everything else -- food, accommodation and having Hailey and Kaleena's mother there for her -- has to be covered by the family. Hence the appeal for help in Christine's Logan's email. Hence Kaleena's continuing hope.

"My motto -- I have it tattooed on me -- is 'Dreaming's not enough.' And that's what I believe. You just don't hope that something's going to happen. You've got to make it happen."

I was going to ask Kaleena where someone who doesn't believe dreaming summons the strength to dream of surviving. But Kaleena answered before I could ask.

"I have too many things to live for, too many things to look forward to."

Then Kaleena smiled.

"Hailey just learned to roll over yesterday."

gordon.sinclair@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition October 22, 2009 B1