A cancer diagnosis is terrifying for anyone, but it carries extra punch when it’s given to a child. Families whose world has been upended have found solid ground and hope at the Kids Cancer Care Foundation of Alberta. As one of only a handful of charities in North America that offers programming addressing all aspects of the childhood cancer fight, Kids Cancer Care has been there to support families through the physical and emotional challenges of treatment and recovery. Its mission: to find a cure for every child with cancer and provide care for every family that is fighting for the same. It seems like an impossible goal, but it takes mere minutes with Kids Cancer Care founder Christine McIver and new CEO Tracey Martin to convince you that if any organization can do it, it’s this one.
Over the past 30 years, the organization has evolved from an idea sparked over McIver’s kitchen table into one of the largest, non-government childhood cancer research funders in Canada and a respite for children with cancer and their families. It started when her five-year-old son, Derek, was diagnosed with cancer in 1986 and she found there were few resources available to help them navigate through treatment. With other parents and volunteers, McIver built a foundation of support for families like hers, and part of that was creating a community where cancer took a backseat to the kids.
“My son was going through a bone marrow transplant at the Alberta Children’s Hospital in February 1990, and I was really trying to find a carrot for him to get him through it. We started talking about Camp Goodtimes in B.C. and in July, Derek got to go to camp,” says McIver.
Camp Goodtimes was an incredible experience. Derek had fun and made friends and his mom picked the brains of organizers onsite and at the Canadian Cancer Society to learn the ins and outs of a camp for kids with cancer and their siblings. She returned home determined to create something similar in Alberta. Canadian Cancer Society supported her efforts, and McIver rented Camp Horizon to host the first campers the following summer. Sadly, Derek passed away in April 1991 so never got to attend the camp he inspired nor experience the profound impact of Kids Cancer Camps of Alberta, the organization McIver subsequently founded in 1994.
As the organization grew, McIver renamed it the Kids Cancer Care Foundation of Alberta to reflect the broadened scope of the organization; on top of growing the camp programs the Foundation also provides home-cooked meals for newly diagnosed or relapsed families, exercise therapy to manage the after-effects of toxic cancer treatments, counselling and child life services, school re-entry and tutoring services with individualized education plans to address post-treatment impairments, post-high school preparation, post-secondary scholarships and more. One hundred per cent of childhood cancer survivors live with at least one chronic health condition due to treatments and one-third of these conditions are severe or life-threatening and worsen over time. Childhood cancer is a lifelong journey and Kids Cancer Care is there for them every step of the way.
“That’s the focus of a lot of the research we fund at University of Calgary and with research partners all over the world,” says McIver. “They’re saving a child’s life but they’re trying to do it by developing new drugs, new therapies and new blood modalities that will cause fewer long-term effects. Currently, UCalgary researchers are testing two new immunotherapies in phase 1 clinical trials designed to harness the child’s own immune system. It’s very exciting.”
Every shaved head and every fundraiser helps not just save kids’ lives but improve their quality of life after cancer. Survivors pay it forward as well, with many growing up to volunteer at camp or pursue a career in research, medicine or helping others.
“When a family becomes part of Kids Cancer Care, it’s a community for life,” says Tracey Martin. “I’m so impressed by how the organization mentors the next generation of leaders.”
After years of renting camp space, McIver realized her dream of running her own camp in 2009, when the Foundation purchased Silver Creek Guest Ranch. Kids Cancer Care continued to run school rental programs during the shoulder seasons and then renamed it Camp Kindle and opened the gates to kids with cancer across the province.
“We kept it together with love and band aids for the first two years but it needed a complete overhaul to get it up to code. We tore all the old infrastructure down and rebuilt everything except Aspen Lodge, the Remington Barn, the Ranch House and the ENERFLEX Music Hall, which are original but now renovated,” says McIver.
Now they are expanding the camp again, adding a treehouse village, an interactive percussion playground, staff residences and a multipurpose building that will house an arts and crafts workshop, teaching and learning kitchen, wellness and reflection areas and collaboration spaces. These additions will ignite imagination and creativity while complementing the existing amenities including the rope courses, climbing wall and hiking trails.
Camp Kindle and SunRise day camps for kids three to seven years old have become a magical place of hope and healing where young people find friendships, develop skills and resilience and discover their inner spark. Camp Kindle has encouraged thousands of kids and families to connect with nature and foster a sense of curiosity, empathy, courage, resilience and environmental stewardship. And back home in Calgary, the Foundation continues to support the mission and its brilliant and caring team with a new leader at the helm. Tracey Martin joined the Foundation as CEO in the spring, allowing Christine McIver to ease into retirement. Martin was looking for her next challenge after working for another wonderful local charity called Vivo for Healthier Generations when a recruiter contacted her about the position at Kids Cancer Care. She decided to check it out and found herself drawn to the authenticity and heart of the organization. Martin just couldn’t say no.
“Christine and the board were thoughtful and intentional about the transition. They wanted to do it as a collaborative effort and find the right personality in the next leadership to make that happen,” says Martin. “I’ve felt so supported.”
McIver is putting in fewer hours, most of which focus on the current capital fundraising campaign, but she continues to share her experience with Martin while leaving the CEO free to bring in new ideas, contacts and strategies. This open and collaborative transition will only make the organization and the next generation of programs and services stronger. Martin sees the organization advocating for more funding, increasing their reach to more kids and families, building new partnerships, evolving a great culture and assessing existing programs to see what they can do better.
Martin has big shoes to fill, but McIver knows she’s the right one to wear them.
“I built this around my son and his memory, and to let something like that go is really hard,” McIver says. “When I met Tracey I thought, ‘my goodness, she’s amazing.’ And this was the first time that I thought, ‘Okay, I can let go. It’ll be in good hands.’”
Derek’s memory and Christine McIver’s 30+-year legacy will continue to inspire and support Alberta kids and their families through the continued amazing work of Kids Cancer Care.
Kids Cancer Care Foundation of Alberta
5757 4 Street SE, Calgary, Alberta T2H 1K8
Phone 403 216 9210 | Toll Free (Alberta) 1 888 554 2267
www.kidscancercare.ab.ca
