Julianna

"No one can teach a mother how to feel when her child is diagnosed with cancer."
                          - Mary Bertone

Cancer hit the family of Mary Bertone and her husband Terry Josephson and their children Nicholas (7 years old) and Julianna (4 years old) on September 4, 2003 when Julianna was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

"Everything had been functioning so well around us and at that moment all I could think of was that nothing would ever be the same again."

While they could only take one step at a time and concentrate on the practical things, Mary Bertone was thankful for the support of her family and friends at CancerCare Manitoba and the extraordinary family of caretakers who were "compassionate, earnest and encouraging".

Julianna was immediately placed in a treatment plan protocol that meant radical chemotherapy and lots of needles and pins. She proved to be an extremely brave and agreeable patient.

However, an unfortunate relapse occurred December 31^st, 2003 and the prognosis changed. This led Julianna to the POG 'Pretty Oncology Girls' (as Julianna refers to them) protocol treatment with hair loss and bloating side effects. Radiation therapy would follow, to be administered while in a Plexiglas immobilizing body cast.

"The impact of childhood cancer on the emotional life and relationships of individuals and families is painful," says Dawn Kidder, Child Life Specialist.

It was however a fantastic happenstance that Richard Dreidger, high school friend of Terry Josephson, would turn out to be an electronic technologist in Nuclear Electronics at CancerCare Manitoba and be able to assist Terry's daughter Julianna.

"I'm not normally involved in treatment," says Dreidger "but knowing this family and observing Julianna's reaction to her first radiation treatment, I was moved and wanted to do SOMETHING!"

That something happened to be envisioning and designing 'BANANAVISION', an innovative use of equipment, so that Julianna (fondly referred to as 'Julianna Banana' by her family and friends) could watch her favourite Spongebob cartoon while receiving radiation treatment. With the help of medical devices technician Chad Harris, and funds from CancerCare Manitoba Foundation, Dreidger adapted existing technology and remanufactured a portable DVD player with a speaker and lead protection that could safely be used inside the radiation therapy room. This creativity worked brilliantly. It gave Julianna a focus while she needed to remain completely motionless in order to receive radiation to her head and spine.

"Distraction is a powerful tool when treating young children," re-enforced Dawn Kidder. "Julianna is only four years old and the environments in which she is being treated are filled with frightening pieces of equipment. Our CancerCare Foundation has once again stepped up-to-the-plate and supported a 'Manitoba invention' that's succeeded in providing relief to a child during critical cancer therapy."

Because of the immediate intervention by Richard Dreidger, and others like Chad Harris and Dawn Kidder, Julianna tolerated her 16 radiation therapy sessions over 21 days. This individualized care, care for the whole child, is what happens at CancerCare Manitoba. In fact they take the whole family into consideration when planning a course of action.

It is this ongoing commitment to the whole patient that helped bring about Bananavision and the team at CancerCare are very pleased to share this innovation.

Cancer survivors and their families can be a positive influence in helping set research directions and priorities. It is important for cancer families to remember that we all share the same goal - to conquer cancer.