Pikangikum youth recovering from brain cancer

The Lil’ Warrior could be much closer to home by Christmas.
Wahbun Peters-Turtle, a three-year-old from Pikangiklum, has been in and out of a London, Ont. hospital since the end of March.
He is battling a type of brain cancer called glioblastoma multiforme, the most common and aggressive type of brain tumour in humans.
“We’re not sure of the date, but we’re hoping to be a lot closer to home soon,” said his father Vincent Turtle, from the hospital room Dec. 15. “It would be nice to be closer to home, so more people can come and visit my son, come and visit and support all of us.”
Wahbun was nicknamed the Lil’ Warrior because of the strength he’s displayed in the face of his situation.
His ordeal began in February when he fell ill.
He began having fevers, headaches and vomiting.
He was diagnosed in the community as having an ear infection, though in hindsight, each is a symptom of the cancer.
After several courses of antibiotics and no improvements, he was medivaced to Thunder Bay March 29.
That night and the following day, all his major organs were tested.
“They basically tested him from head to toe,” Turtle said.
On March 31, doctors performed an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) on the youth’s head and discovered a tumour the size of a golf ball on the right side of his head. It was also creating pressure in his head.
He was airlifted to a London hospital so a specialist could perform emergency surgery, Turtle said.
“It was so scary not knowing what was going to happen,” Turtle said.
After a four and a half hour procedure, in the wee hours of April 1, a portion of the tumour was removed.
He was discharged from the hospital April 9 with a follow-up MRI scheduled for April 15.
But, the youth soon fell ill again with the same symptoms he orginally had.
When the time came for his MRI, the doctors found the tumour had completely regrown and had actually increased in size to almost double its original size.
A portion of the tumour was once again removed during emergency surgery that day.
“We couldn’t believe this was happening,” Turtle said. “We just wanted our son to be healthy.”
The doctors started Wahbun on a 60-week course of chemotherapy, which should be complete in August or September of next year.
Through the summer, Wahbun kept going into the hospital for tests.
The chemo was working and the tumour was shrinking, Turtle said.
MRI results provided to the family Sept. 17 found more steady improvement.
“It was nice to nice to hear some positive news,” his dad said.
With things improving, doctors were prepared to remove the entire tumour Oct. 18 during a seven-hour surgery.
But Wahbun fell ill prior to the surgery so it was postponed.
The surgery finally went ahead Dec. 6, two days after his third birthday.
“He’s been recovering really well,” Turtle said. “He’s much more himself now.”
Turtle said he is unsure about his son’s prognosis going forward because of the type of cancer Wahbun has.
But for now, he’s enjoying every moment he can with his son.
You can follow Wahbun’s recovery online at wahbunpetersturtle.myknet.org.