![[Left] Marleigh pictured with her stuffy, Lokii, that she got from the hospital gift shop. Marleigh's mother shared that the stuffy looks like their cat back home. "He鈥檚 been here since day one; her comfort throughout appointments and procedures," she said. [Right] Marleigh pictured with one of her favourite nurses, Jean.](https://www.bpmcdn.com/f/files/terrace/2025-may/before-after-marleigh.jpg;w=960;h=640;bgcolor=000000)
Five-year-old Marleigh Young had just started Kindergarten in Terrace, B.C. when her life was turned upside down by a leukemia diagnosis.
Currently undergoing treatment at BC Children's Hospital in Vancouver, Marleigh is coping well according to her mother, Elizabeth Young.
"She鈥檚 very brave and resilient. And understands almost everything that goes on for her treatment," shared Young, who is down in Vancouver with her daughter.
Marleigh is facing B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a type of blood and bone marrow cancer where the bone marrow produces too many abnormal B-lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell.
"We were lucky to get seen by Dr. Obi at the Terrace Medical Clinic [on] Sept, 25, 2024," said Young. "He ordered blood work, among other tests, [and] called later that evening and said we had to rush to Mill's Memorial Hospital because she had a white blood cell count of 153."
The next day, Marleigh and her mother were medevaced to the children's hospital in Vancouver.
"She鈥檚 very loved and taken care of by Dr. Jacob Rozmus and our Nurse clinician Molly Imire."
The treatment for her cancer is divided into different phases: induction, consolidation, intensification, maintenance. Over the past six months, she has gone through the induction and consolidation phases, and is currently in the delayed intensification phase. Doctors started her last cycle of treatment on May 2.
"It鈥檚 not a fun cycle," wrote Young in an update on their GoFundMe page. "It consists of 12 shots in the thighs. One in each leg, [Monday], [Wednesday] and Friday with a week break after six doses. We鈥檙e anticipating a couple delays for blood or platelet transfusions. This cycle will be about nine weeks. Then we can hopefully talk about dates to go back to Terrace."
The maintenance phase, which can last two years, can be done in their hometown.
The family is raising money to help support Marleigh's 13-year-old sister Arianna visit as often as she can during the next months of treatments, as well as living costs for the family. They reached the maximum amount of support they could get from First Nations Health Authority, so a GoFundMe page was made to help with costs.
To donate and follow along with Marleigh's story, visit their GoFundMe page at .
