A Vancouver Island family is facing an unimaginable challenge after their five-year-old son was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia.
On March 3, Jax Beatch was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) and was airlifted to BC Children’s Hospital in Vancouver where treatment began immediately. Jax’s uncle, Lee Mueller, has organized a fundraising campaign to help cover expenses during this time and the Ladysmith community is stepping up to show their support for the family.
Since arriving at BC Children's Hospital, Jax has undergone multiple spinal taps, one surgery and several rounds of chemotherapy with more to come. He is being supported by a team of specialists and will continue treatment in stages over the coming years.
The family is navigating what they call “a very new world,” learning more each day.
Stage one of Jax’s care involves an initial month of chemotherapy at BC Children’s Hospital. The family is currently waiting to get into Ronald McDonald House BC and Yukon in Vancouver once a room becomes available. Stage two will follow with eight to nine months spent there, where he’ll continue to receive treatment at the hospital. If all goes well, stage three would allow Jax to return home to Vancouver Island, where treatment would continue bi-monthly for an additional one to two years.
More recently, genetic testing revealed Jax actually has a rare form of the disease known as Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph+) ALL, also called BCR-ABL. It affects only three to five per cent of childhood leukemia cases.
“It’s not necessarily more serious, but it is more complicated and harder to treat,” the family shared through the fundraising page. “Over the past 20 years, they’ve been able to create a medicine that targets it quite well, but Jax’s odds have changed from about a 90 per cent success rate to around 65 to 70 per cent.”
Mueller added, “It has decreased his odds of staying in remission dramatically and it’s a hard pill to swallow.”
The diagnosis has significantly altered life for Jax’s parents, Tanya and Andrew Beatch, who uprooted their lives overnight to live in Vanocuver for the foreseeable future. Andrew is self-employed and not eligible for employment insurance so Tanya’s EI will serve as their primary source of income. Andrew is also caring for their two-year-old daughter, Ellie, while juggling visits to Jax during treatment.
“Tanya and Andrew are managing as best they can under the circumstances,” said Mueller. “Obviously this is every parent's worst nightmare. Some days are harder than others, and they’re taking it moment by moment.”
Mueller said setting up the fundraiser was the best way he and his wife could think of to help Jax and support Tanya and Andrew. The funds raised will allow Tanya, Andrew and Ellie to be by Jax's side as much as possible.
The fundraising campaign has a goal of $75,000 to help ease the financial burden. More than $55,000 has already been raised.
“It’s hard to put into words how much it means to see neighbours, friends, coworkers and even strangers rally around them during such a tough time,” said Mueller. “They’ve expressed gratitude for every gesture, whether it’s a donation, a kind word or just someone checking in. It’s given them a sense of hope and strength, knowing they’re not alone in this.”
The fundraiser is accepting donations online.
