Meet Chad
Meet Chad.
Dream Kid Chad is a music-loving 13-year-old who loves riding his bike with his friends.
Dream Kid Chad is a typical 13-year-old. He’s got a great sense of humour and he does well in school. His favourite subject is science, aside from shops and gym. He’s quite active and loves riding his bike. Chad is a metalhead, he loves metal and hard rock – his mom tells us that music is often blaring from Chad’s room.
Picture: Chad has been brave and flexible through his treatments.
But Chad has been through more than most teenagers. In March 2020, when Chad was just 10, he was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma after doctors investigated a lump in his neck. He was all set to start chemotherapy when he and his family were presented the option of surgery.
Chad was the first child in Canada to have his type of cancer treated surgically. He woke up on his 11th birthday, cancer free!
However, after a routine CT scan in the summer of 2021, doctors found that his cancer was back and in multiple places. The only option for treatment this time was chemotherapy.
Chad went through six rounds of treatment that resulted in four hospital stays. “Chad handled this whole experience amazingly,” his mom told us. “Of course, he’s had some hard moments, but for the most part he just accepted that this is happening. His outlook is, ‘okay, I have cancer now. What’s next?’ He’s been very flexible through it all.”
Through their medical journey, Chad and his family have grown even closer – especially since they had to go through all of this while quarantining during the pandemic. “We’d have movie nights in the house and order pizza,” Chad’s mom says. “SkipTheDishes became a lifesaver for us!”
Chad had his last treatment in January 2022. It took a while for his immune system to recover, but by the summer, he was able to be outside with friends and family. Now, Chad is back in school and hanging out with his friends.
Picture: Chad loves riding his bike in the summer with his friends.
Picture: Through his treatment, Chad has gone with the flow and has had a positive outlook.
He’s also looking forward to his Dream come true! Chad’s Dream is to visit the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida! He’s very interested in the science behind the rockets there, and he’s especially excited to see the exhibit for Apollo 11, which is what first got him interested in space.