Collecting for cancer child
- Details
- Published on Friday, February 27, 2015
By Darryl Hodkin
In the 2011-12 school year at Rivers Collegiate Institute (RCI), parents, teachers and students were privileged to have Jason Paas, who was filling in for a teacher on maternity leave, teach Grades 7-12 band and Grades 7 and 8 English Language Arts. It did not take long for Jason and his son Donovan, who attended RCI, to make new friends — Jason with his amazing gift and passion to teach and Donovan with his down-to-earth outlook on life.
Jason, his wife Sheryle and their three sons (Donovan, Aidan and Riley) lived in Brandon but each morning Jason and Donovan drove from that city to attend RCI. After a year of teaching at RCI, Jason accepted a teaching position in Cross Lake, Man. but he stayed in touch with the friends made at RCI.
Jason and Sheryle’s son Aidan, who is 13 years old, was recently diagnosed with Sporadic Burkitt's Lymphoma and is currently at the Children’s Hospital Cancer Ward in Winnipeg facing six to eight months of chemotherapy. It’s the fastest-growing cancer there is. This was something that was quickly discovered, yet he is at stage four, with cancer cells primarily clustered around his liver and kidneys, but also present in the bone marrow and spinal fluid. This form of cancer is treatable, and he is already being aggressively treated with chemotherapy. To date (Feb. 22) Aidan has had five doses of chemotherapy, three through spinal tap while in the intensive care unit.
Aidan’s journey began in Cross Lake on Monday, Feb. 9 as the nursing station staff made the decision to medevac Aidan to Thompson; that same day Thompson hospital staff sent Aidan to the Children's Hospital. A CT scan was performed on Feb. 10 and on Wednesday, Feb. 11, surgery was performed. Aidan was in intensive care for a week before being moved to a hospital ward on Feb. 18.
Cancer affects any age group and any nationality as it knows no boundaries. Many of us have seen the effects of cancer first-hand when it has affected family or friends. All the emotions people go through as they see loved ones suffer can’t be expressed with mere words. The fewer things that family have to worry about the better. A Facebook group has been started for people to keep up on all the updates of Aidan’s recovery which is named The Paas Family Prayer Corner. If people wish to donate to help with costs the family are now faced with, they can be made to the following: Aidan Paas In-Trust Account, c/o Westoba Credit Union, Box 298, Rivers, MB R0K 1X0. If people wish to make e-transfers they can, by sending them to Jason Paas at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Anybody wishing to donate by PayPal can also use the same email address, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
