We’re thrilled to announce that Shane Heidt of Calgary is our 2024 MEGA 50/50 winner. With YOUR support, the MEGA 50/50 jackpot grew to more than $35,000, which means Shane is taking home $17,530! Congratulations to Shane and his whole family!
Shane’s son Colton was diagnosed with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia in January 2024. Colton’s parents Shane and Lori noticed that his cheek had started to swell. After a couple of visits to the hospital and an emergency dental appointment, a biopsy was scheduled. After the biopsy on January 11, the Heidt family learned it was cancer! It was their worst nightmare, and their world shattered. Colton was admitted to the Alberta Children’s Hospital on January 21 and had surgery to install an access port under his skin the very next day. The doctors also checked his spinal fluid and bone marrow for cancer. Thankfully, those tests came back negative! Colton started his first round of chemotherapy on January 23 and by the end of the week, his cheek swelling was already starting to go down. Much to his parents’ amazement Colton did not have too many side effects. He would feel crappy the day after his chemo session but would quickly bounce back.
Kids Cancer Care was there for the family right from diagnosis. “Kids Cancer Care was a light in the darkest moment of our lives,” says Shane.
After 8 long months of being at the hospital every week, Colton is now doing great. He has transitioned to the maintenance phase of treatment. This means fewer trips to the hospital. Now he only visits once a month for blood work and every 3 months for intravenous chemo. Colton is still taking oral chemo every day but is back to school and his friends.
“This will be our new normal until March 2026 when he can finally ring that bell and say he is cancer-free. There will still be visits to the hospital for the next few years to make sure nothing has come back, but the good news is there is a 95% chance with his type of cancer and his treatment that he will be cured. We never thought in a million years that we would be in this situation. We now know how important foundations like Kids Cancer Care are. We are truly thankful for all the programs we’ve been able to access. Helping other families in their need is rewarding in itself but winning the 50/50 makes this a full-circle journey for us. We cannot thank Kids Cancer Care enough.”
THANK YOU for buying our MEGA 50/50 tickets! The funds raised through this 50/50 will directly benefit kids and families impacted by cancer – so the real winners from this raffle are the kids and we are truly grateful! A HUGE shoutout to Daytona Homes for being our incredible partners and supporters this year!
