Kaden Sagh is fighting cancer in his spine.
Image Credit: DebbieWelsh/GoFundMe
January 18, 2016 - 9:00 PM
SALMON ARM - A GoFundMe page is collecting money for a Salmon Arm teen fighting cancer in his spine.
Kaden Sagh, 17, was moved to Vancouver in December after cancer was found in his spine. A GoFundMe page has been set up for him and his family to assist with costs associated with the treatment away from home and his return to Salmon Arm.
Debbie Welsh, Sagh’s aunt, says his mother has been by his side the entire time, and his father is making regular trips to the coast to visit and help with treatment.
“His parents have been good at keeping the treatment going,” Welsh says. “He’s a tall boy, so having his father there to help is good.”
The GoFundMe page, started by Welsh, says Sagh awoke one morning and was unable to move his left leg. He was taken to the Salmon Arm Hospital and then brought to Kamloops to see a specialist. Following an MRI he was sent to Vancouver when a tumour in his spinal cord was identified. It eventually turned out to be malignant. Over 90 per cent has been removed, but surgeons weren’t able to remove it all after a seven hour surgery.
“We have no idea how long this is going to be. We just take it day to day and go from there,” Welsh says. “Today he took steps, but there’s a long road ahead.”
He’s currently going through chemo, which Welsh said has been tiring. With some of the cancer inoperable doctors are trying to halt the part of the tumour which remains. Once treatment is completed he’ll still have to travel to the coast every three months for review for a couple years, depending on results.
Sagh had been involved with the local lacrosse team since he was a child. His father, Steve Sagh, is a founder of the team Sagh played for, and coached for many years. While doctor’s aren’t sure if he’ll be able to return to lacrosse, Welsh says he still plans to graduate high school this year.
The page has a set goal of $30,000 and has raised $15,320. The money raised will be going to the family to help offset costs of travel down to the coast, lost work, Sagh’s return to Salmon Arm and future trips to Vancouver to keep an eye on the cancer. Welsh started it after inquiries from the community and researched how others in similar situations have dealt with the difficult situation.
“We all know when a tragedy happens you’re focused on your child,” Welsh says. "Family does better when it's together."
Other fundraising efforts are going on as well, with one of Steve Sagh’s friends donating a hand carved bench to raffle off and an account set up with Salmon Arm Savings and Credit Union for donations.
To contact a reporter for this story, email Brendan Kergin at bkergin@infonews.ca or call 250-819-6089. To contact an editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.
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