New charity serves as awareness campaign for a rare form of childhood cancer

The Drouillard family at the ‘Heroes for ‘Histio launch at Malden Park on Sept. 16, 2023. Their daughter Harper was diagnosed with Langerhans cell histiocytosis when she was three years old. ‘Heroes for Histio’ helps raise money for the Histiocytosis Association of Canada and the Fight Like Mason Foundation. (Bob Bellacicco/CTV News Windsor)

Alyssa Drouillard’s daughter was diagnosed with Langerhans cell histiocytosis, or LCH, which is a rare form of childhood cancer when she was 3.5 years old.

“She’s our miracle girl,” said Drouillard during the launch of Heroes for Histio at Malden Park Saturday. “It was about five weeks between the biopsy and the oncologist appointment. When we connected with her, her tumor was gone. It was in her spine and in the five weeks it eradicated. ”

While learning about LCH, which affects the skin and bones, Drouillard realized there isn’t much information available, “We were sent home. They said, ‘Okay, she’s stable.’ Within two hours, a physician said, ‘I came across her scans and I think I know what this is. You guys need to come back right away.’ We were lucky that someone had happened to take a look at her case and said this isn’t just a broken spine. This is cancer.”

Harper now undergoes periodic monitoring.

Her parents started Heroes for Histio to help raise money for the Histiocytosis Association of Canada and the Fight Like Mason Foundation, who helped their daughter feel strong during her journey.

The family is also hoping to create more awareness for the rare childhood cancer.

“In Canada, only about five per cent of cancer research funding goes to childhood cancers. Of that, zero goes towards LCH. We want a cure for our daughter and other children,” said Drouillard.