After years of helping grant wishes to seriously ill children, Karl Dovick never thought he would be dealing with his own stepdaughter's battle with cancer.
Dovick was recognized three years ago by his work, WestJet and Make-A-Wish for his volunteer efforts. The children he helped grant wishes for gathered at Pearson International Airport to surprise him. They thanked him for everything he had done to make their lives a little bit happier.
Now Dovick's four-year-old stepdaughter Autumn has stage four metastatic neuroblastoma, cancer that has spread to her lymph nodes, bone marrow, hips and lungs.
“I could have never ever, ever imagined what this would have felt like had it not happened to us,” said Dovick. “It’s gut wrenching. It literally turns your life inside out."
Autumn was diagnoses three weeks ago.
“The first few days were just a living nightmare and I was waiting to wake up and not have this be happening,” said Sarah Rogers, Autumn’s mother.
The families and kids who Dovick helped through Make-A-Wish were the first people he reached out to about Autumn.
“I knew that they understood more than anyone else what I was going through in this moment,” said Dovick.
His neighbour and friend Ian Baker set up a GoFundMe page to help support Autumn and her family.
Baker’s mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer in July of this year. He knows what it’s like to have a family member go through a devastating illness. He can only imagine what his friend is going through with his stepdaughter.
Baker said he hopes the donations will help ease the stress of the financial burden and the family will have more time to take care of Autumn.
“Everyone’s generosity already so quickly has been so overwhelming,” said Dovick.
“I have no doubt he’s a mess,” said Baker about how Dovick is doing.
“I think he’s got a lot of inner strength,” said Rogers.
“I think anybody that’s a natural giver or helper or caretaker or somebody who wants to give is extremely uncomfortable with receiving,” said Baker.
As someone who works with sick children, no one would have expected their own child to be diagnosed with a terminal illness, said Baker.
Dovick said Autumn "is the most energetic, fun, stubborn child” as she receives treatment in Kitchener, currently as an in-patient.
“She does not want to be there and she makes it known to everybody who comes in the room. As small and tiny as she may be, she will let everyone know how she does not want to be anywhere close to that hospital.”
“I haven’t left her side in the last three weeks,” said Rogers.
Dovick searched for a cleaning company to help through busy times while Autumn goes back and forth from the hospital. Andrea Acton reached out, her son was diagnosed with an illness and passed away 10 years later. She started her cleaning company, Immaculate Interiors because of that and her team cleaned Dovick’s whole house. They refused any money from Dovick for their service.
Autumn's father and stepmother are also involved in the support and caregiving.
“She has four parents that literally love her immensely and that’s the one thing we show to Autumn as well is that you know it’s not two different families. We’re one family and we’re all here for her.” said Dovick.
Autumn’s father and stepmother live in Pickering and have been staying at a hotel near the hospital to be close to her.
It’s important to celebrate the small wins, like Autumn’s fever going down or that she ate five crackers, said Rogers.
“We’re in a time of need and people are reaching out and helping.”
