Brandon Sun By: Colin Slark
Jeremy and Sierra Bates and their daughter Maiya who is back to regular life as an almost three-year old, except for monthly visits for treatment and tests in Winnipeg. (Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun)
In December 2019, then 19-month-old Maiya Bates fell and fractured her leg. That injury was a mixed blessing.
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In December 2019, then 19-month-old Maiya Bates fell and fractured her leg. That injury was a mixed blessing.
Taking a toddler to the emergency room is not a task most parents dream of having to do, but it resulted in Brandon parents Sierra and Jeremy finding out that their daughter’s blood counts were off and needed to be monitored.
Brandon Sun It s so hard seeing your kid so sick By: Drew May
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Christmas looks different this year for almost every family in Westman as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. But for Jeremy and Sierra Bates, that also includes a cancer diagnosis for their young daughter, Maiya.
Maiya was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in February 2020, just a few weeks before COVID-19 arrived in Manitoba.
Maiya Bates. (Submitted)
While so many people had their lives turned upside-down by the pandemic, the Bates family was also dealing with the heartbreaking realization their daughter had cancer, Sierra said.
The family’s journey began just after Christmas last year, when Maiya had a fall at daycare and fractured her leg, Sierra said.