Ollie’s Story

Oliver is our son. In December of 2013 he was diagnosed with Juvenile Myelomonocytic Leukemia (JMML).

In April of 2014, Ollie received a bone marrow transplant, but by August he had relapsed. A second transplant took place in November 2014 but it too failed.

Our doctors did not give up, giving him chemo to buy time before a planned third transplant. By June 2015, we were told that transplant was no longer an option, and that the leukemia was too aggressive and spreading quickly. There was nothing more they could do.

Once again though, they did not give up on Ollie and were incredibly supportive in planning out palliative and hospice care for him. With their advice and support we made the decision to move Ollie to Emily’s House. There, our whole family was cared for as we prepared to say goodbye. The Sick Kids doctors who provide care at Emily’s House, the nurses at Emily’s House, the play therapy and volunteers at Emily’s House, they all worked hard to ensure that we made decisions that felt right for Ollie and our family, and allowed our extended family and friends the opportunity to spend time with him and say their goodbyes.

On July 12, 2015, at the age of 7, Ollie slipped away surrounded by his family. Our spirited, funny, stubborn, smart, quirky, and loving boy was gone.

Our lives are forever changed by this loss, but the knowledge that he was so cared for by so many people, does lift our hearts. Emily’s House is still a comfort to us, even almost 9 years later, and is a vital connection between us and our son. We must lift them up so they can continue to do this incredibly important, and necessary, work.

With love,

Laura, Stuart and Jack