Warrior Princess to make victory lap at Heater’s Heroes
Nine-year-old who beat cancer to make special return to August fundraiser
Brookie Isaak is a dancer, a lover of princess movies and a mischievous sibling to her brothers.
But, most of all, the nine-year-old is a Warrior Princess.
The St. Catharines youngster earned that nickname in 2016 after she battled — and beat — cancer.
Brookie was just about to turn six when she began having recurring urinary tract infections. The infections would clear up, but the youngster would occasionally complain of stomach pain.
“The doctors would say she was just growing, but I felt something wasn’t right and asked for an ultrasound,” her mother Pam recalled.
Less than 48 hours after the ultrasound, Brookie and her family were instructed to go to McMaster Children’s Hospital in Hamilton for further tests.
“We certainly didn’t anticipate the journey we were about to go on,” Pam said.
The evening before they were scheduled to go to Hamilton, Pam told her husband that perhaps they should pack an overnight bag.
“The medical system does not move that quickly and, if they are moving this quickly, something is not right.”
Her intuition, that feeling of foreboding she couldn’t quite shake, was right.
“We were there maybe and hour and half before being told Brookie was going to be admitted and testing started immediately.”
Doctors said Brookie had neuroblastoma, a solid tumour, in her abdomen. It was the size of a fist, and it was growing.
The little girl underwent surgery and doctors were confident all of the tumour had been removed.
In August 2016, Brookie was selected as a Heater’s Hero and walked the track at Oakes Park at the annual charity event.
On Aug. 10 she’ll return to the Morrison Street track and take a victory lap around the park.
Heater’s Heroes raises funds to support children and families affected by terminal illness, lifealtering illness or injury.
Each year, the charity names a group of “heroes” to be saluted by having people walk a lap of the track in their honour.
Sadly, sometimes they walk in the memory of a child whose life was cut short.
Other times, former heroes return to the track as alumni.
“We want her to give inspiration to our current heroes, to let them know there’s hope,” said Mike Strange, who launched the fundraiser in 2011.
“Brookie is a huge inspiration of mine. She is such a brave little girl. She is just amazing.”
The free event, hosted by the Falls View Hose Brigade, will be held Aug. 10 from noon until 10 p.m.
Activities will include live music, food, inflatables and train rides.
To date, the event has raised roughly $100,000.
Funds support children and families as well as Heater’s Heroes partner Heartland Forest.
Strange, an Olympic boxer and Niagara Falls city councillor, created the fundraiser in honour of Robert (Heater) Lavelle.
Lavelle, a Niagara Falls resident, had organized a number of successful charity events over the years, many in support of children in need. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2008. He died the following year.
“I was completely devastated,” Strange. “He was such a mentor to me.”
Strange created Heater’s Heroes as a way to carry on his mentor’s legacy of helping others.
For further information, visit www.heatersheroes.ca.