Local activists overwhelmed by community support after daughter’s cancer diagnosis

Two Ottawa community activists find themselves in unfamiliar territory after their daughter was diagnosed with cancer and they were the ones in need of a boost. 

Maryele Gauthier, a kindergarten teacher with Ottawa's French Catholic school board, and Alice Audrain, who is currently unemployed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, took their four-year-old adopted daughter Jasmyne to CHEO after she experienced a loss in appetite, energy, weight loss and shortness of breath. 

Initially, Jasmyne was diagnosed with advanced Wilms’ tumour, which is a rare form of kidney cancer that occurs in early childhood. However, after a biopsy last week, doctors concluded Jasmyne actually has Stage 4 Neuroblastoma, a cancer that most commonly arises in and around the adrenal glands, which sit atop the kidneys.

The road to recovery will include 18 months of treatment including chemotherapy, an operation, stem cell therapy in Toronto, radiation and immunotherapy. Jasmyne has already undergone some chemotherapy and a day-long surgery on October 8, in an attempt to remove parts of the tumour. 

The Audrain-Gauthier family consists of eight members: six children, three from Gauthier's previous relationship, and three adopted children. 

A number of years ago, after doing respite care for the Children’s Aid Society of Ottawa, a social worker suggested to the Audrain-Gauthiers that they would be the ideal adoptive family for a pair of siblings they had already been occasionally fostering. 

Shortly after that, the Audrain-Gauthiers welcomed another child into the mix, Jérémy, who is the biological brother of Jasmyne and Jade. 

The Audrain-Gauthiers are local community leaders who volunteer their time with organizations like Parents for Diversity and Adopt 4Life. Friends and family describe the women as fierce advocates for open adoption, family reunification, LGBTQ2+ families and racial justice. 

As a result, community members have come together to help them in their time of need. 

A GoFundMe page has been organized by friends of the Audrain-Gauthiers family, Emily Turk, Adrienne Silnicki, as well as 21 other co-sponsors who believe this family deserves to get as much back from the community as they give. 

“We did it because they're getting back what they put into the universe. They are the most kind and generous people you will ever find on this earth. They were foster parents before adoptive parents and Maryele was even a surrogate,” said Turk “They are just so invested in building community.” 

The page is hoping to raise $50,000 to cover expenses like travel, therapy for Jasmyne and living expenses for themselves and their other children. Gauthier had to go on a leave of absence due to the risk of COVID-19 in school and having a child with a compromised immune system.

The two moms also trade-off care for their other children, including one who has complex trauma and special needs. Right now, Jasmyne is mostly stable but is still in the Intensive Care Unit recovering from undergoing surgery.

“One of her lungs is partially deflated because of the tumour, so she has had to wear a special mask to assist with breathing and is at risk of needing to be intubated again,” explained Turk. 

The family hopes to have Jasmyne home in time for her fifth birthday on November 22 but Turk says they're just, “taking it one day at a time.”

This is not the first cancer experience for the Audrain-Gauthiers. Ten years ago Gauthier battled cancer herself, undergoing eight rounds of chemotherapy and a mastectomy for breast cancer. 

“I think she knows a little bit of what Jasmyne is going through, but I think it's also incredibly difficult for her to be going through this with her daughter. For some people, hospitals can trigger difficult memories. It's not an easy place to be,” said Turk.  

Turk explained that in the time of COVID-19,  it's hard to show solidarity with others and that's one of the reasons they wanted to start this GoFundMe. She goes on to say, “You can't take shifts at a hospital, or provide childcare for other peoples kids. It's also very difficult to bring meals to the hospital to support them.”