A diagnosis of cancer brings a family closer together

When Chris Amirault discovered a small lump on his neck, he never imagined how the chance discovery would change his life and that of his family. Over three years ago, while shaving in front of the bathroom mirror one morning, Chris, 24, noticed a couple small lumps on his neck. He visited his family doctor and went for tests, and was shocked to discover he had Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, a cancer that targets white blood cells.

“I’d never been really sick in my entire life,” says Chris. “It was a shock.”

Chris began treatment at the QEII Health Sciences Centre, and found his life turned upside down. A father of a young son and having just completed his training in carpentry, Chris looked forward to a new career and time with his family. But over the last three years, frequent trips to the QEII for chemotherapy and two eventual stem cell operations frequently left him physically drained and in constant danger of life-threatening infection. However, his positive outlook, the impact of the care he’s received at the Medical Day Unit of the QEII and the support of his family have carried him through.

“As a family,” says Chris’ father, Glen, “we’ve drawn together because of his cancer. We’ve become each other’s support system, and that’s a wonderful thing.”

Glen and his wife, Sandra, coordinate their schedules to be with Chris when he enters the QEII for care. They look after their grandson, Marcus, when Chris is in treatment and his partner, Tiffiney, is at work. It translates into a lot of time supporting their son through his illness, but the Amiraults are glad to do it and grateful for the team at the Medical Day Unit.

“They see these sick people every day,” says Glen, “and they always have a smile on their faces and a kind word, no matter how busy or crowded things are.”

Things are looking up for Chris Amirault. A recent stem cell transplant has him hopeful he can regain full health and return to his carpentry. “I can feel my energy returning a little more each day,” he says. In the meantime, as his health progresses, he knows he has his family behind him and the Medical Day Unit ready to accommodate. Photo: Tiffiney, Marcus and Chris Amirault.