Strong Like Sloane team runs for childhood cancer [Video]

Last May, Claire Masikewich and her family received some devastating news.

She had taken her five-year-old daughter, Sloane, to the hospital after the young girl complained of leg and groin pain, which was accompanied with a fever.

“She was diagnosed with Stage 4 high-risk neuroblastoma,” said Masikewich. “When you’re told your child has cancer it’s a whole flood of emotions. It’s that out-of-body experience.”

Every year in Alberta, close to 240 young people are diagnosed with cancer, and it is the number one disease killing children.

Sloane was given a 12-18 month protocol, which meant the fun-loving, goofy girl would be spending much of her time fighting cancer at the Alberta Children’s Hospital. The now six-year-old has been through multiple CT scans, MRIs, biopsies and most recently a stem cell transplant.

“She’s an incredibly brave girl,” said Masikewich.

Her strength has inspired the slogan “Strong Like Sloane.”

After learning that only seven per cent of all cancer research fundraising dollars are directed …