The impacts of chemotherapy are starting to show on three-year-old Orion Parisien-Wawea but he’s hanging in there, his grandma Vicki Parisien said.
| Three-year-old Orion has three years of treatment ahead of him.(Submitted) |
“The stomach pains started to progress quickly. He wasn’t walking, he wasn’t eating, he wasn’t going to the bathroom. He just wasn’t himself. At first we thought it might be appendicitis,” Sierra Book, Orion’s mom told the Review in late July.
Related: Three-year-old battles Leukemia
Orion was quickly put on a three-year treatment plan which will see he him have chemo twice a week for the first year, and once a month for the following two years.
“You can see his face is kind of sullen and he’s pale, doesn’t have a lot of energy,” Vicki Parisien said
Orion was diagnosed with stage one Leukemia in mid-July after a few days of having stomach pain. The family of mom Sierra Book, 22, and her boyfriend Thomas Wawea, along with little brother Xavier, eight months old, currently live in Surrey. The young family had hoped to move back to the Similkameen in early 2019, but will now wait until Orion’s treatment is complete.
The family is no stranger to Leukemia. Parisien’s daughter (Sierra’s sister) Santana also had Leukemia several years ago and after treatment is in remission.
A fundraiser is being held to help offset costs as Orion goes through lengthy treatment at Vancouver Children’s Hospital over the next few years.
A loonie dinner auction is being held Aug. 25 from 5 p.m. to 12 a.m. at the Cawston Hall.
The meal of turkey and ham and all the fixins starts at 5 p.m. and the auction starts at 6 p.m. The live auction will be followed by a performance by Relvis an Elvis impersonator.
Tickets are $15 and can be bought at the Wrong Turn Tavern in Keremeos or Hound Dogs in Penticton or by contacting Vicki Parisien at 250-499-1162.
There will also be door prizes and a bar.