Thatcher is like most stereotypical three-year-olds. He likes diggers, digging in sand and Spider-Man.
"He just loves everything like that – rough and tumble," said his dad Mark Stephens.
But in his short three years, the Trail boy has faced more challenges than most.
When he was about two months old, Mark said he and his wife Keri started to notice weird bruises on Thatcher, in places that didn't make sense, such as one on the crown of his head and another on his cheek. He said they went to their family doctor, who also noticed a couple of bumps and lumps.
Mark said they were referred to a pediatrician who had some oncology experience. She ordered some scans, an ultrasound and X-ray.
"Within minutes of that ultrasound, it changed our lives forever."
Doctors found an enlarged liver, then a tumour on Thatcher's kidneys, as well as one behind his eye. He was diagnosed with a stage 4s neuroblastoma.
Mark said he was actually familiar with neuroblastoma, after a cousin unfortunately passed away from it a while back. The 's' stands for 'special,' Mark said, which means it's a very unique cancer with certain criteria: children under the age of 18 months, certain genetics and certain parts of the body.
"What's so special about the cancer is it can heal itself, but in Thatcher's case, the cancer was in parts of his body where it shouldn't have been. It was just so prevalent," Mark said.
The oncologist took Thatcher's case to the neuroblastoma board and it was decided he would be treated as an immediate risk. Thatcher and his mom were flown to BC Children's Hospital the following day – with Mark following behind in a vehicle after securing care for their two older daughters – and doctors began working on a treatment plan.
Keri said their first stay at inpatient was about two-and-a-half weeks.
"It could have felt like the walls were closing in, but the entire atmosphere (at BC Children's) is really bright and colourful.
Thatcher and his family still come to Vancouver every four to six months for appointments, with each stay lasting about a week. He was recently transferred to long-term follow-up, where a team will be monitoring him for side effects from his four chemotherapy treatments.
Keri said Thatcher is now considered "clinically well." He still has a small bit of his original seven-centimetre tumour on his kidney, but it's non-cancerous and has regressed to the point that "it'll just stay as a little bit of extra part of Thatcher."
He recalled the oncologist telling them about a special scan that would reveal the scope of the disease in Thatcher's body and how it guided them to figure out the best course of treatment.
"We were fortunate enough to benefit from the previous decades of that research," he said. "I remember it was a little bit scary, but it was also it felt almost like Star Trek. It was so futuristic to us to hear that there is something like that."
Thatcher's outcome and prognosis have been successful in part due to funds raised through the Dream Lottery. The lottery supports research initiatives at BC Children's Hospital, where more than 1,500 dedicated research professionals work to "redefine the future of pediatric healthcare."
BC Children's Hospital Foundation CEO Malcolm Berry said the lottery funds play a crucial role in advancing pediatric health-care research in B.C. for transformative medical breakthroughs that can change children's lives.
"Every year, over 130,000 kids and youth from all corners of BC and the Yukon rely on BC Children’s for specialized care."The winner of the Dream Lottery can choose one of 10 packages, including dream homes in Surrey, Vancouver, Vernon, Sooke, Langley, Courtenay, Maple Ridge, Kelowna or Burnaby or $2.3 million in tax-free cash.
Ticket are available until Oct. 11 or when they sell out. They can be purchased at bcchildren.com.
