When Arisa’s parents first came to Canada as refugees, they never imagined that their baby girl Arisa would be diagnosed with a rare cancer. In a foreign land, miles away from family, they felt utterly alone and frightened. Thankfully, with community support, Kids Cancer Care could be there for the Veysi-Karami family.

After five years of cancer treatments and medical procedures, Arisa had beat cancer but she was unable to walk or talk or even eat through her mouth. Refusing a feeding tube for their daughter, Arisa’s parents patiently fed her formula drop by drop until she gradually relearned to swallow again. At age five, Arisa surprised everyone when she started walking and talking again.

Along the way, the Veysi-Karami family discovered Kids Cancer Care. Thanks to generous community support, we are helping Arisa navigate her cancer-related learning challenges with a specialized tutor. Her grades are going up, and during the school year, she looks forward to Camp Kindle. At camp, Arisa can finally escape the realities of cancer and develop the skills, friendships and resilience she needs for the long journey ahead.

To read our full Gratitude Report, click HERE.