The community came together this week to build a new backyard playground for a young cancer survivor and his family in Brechin.
Members of Million Dollar Smiles, Orillia OPP and the Toronto Police Service built the playground for two-year-old Nolan Davis, who was diagnosed with juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia in November.
Following his diagnosis, Davis immediately started chemotherapy and spent 115 days at SickKids Hospital in Toronto. He had an unsuccessful bone marrow transplant in April but, shortly after, found another donor in his father, Derek, and underwent a successful operation.
Davis was recently discharged and sent home, where he will start his weekly remission check-ups. He is now on the road to making a full recovery.
“It’s definitely been a roller-coaster of emotions,” said Davis’s mother, Courtney Nicastro. “I feel like our lives will be forever changed. It’s definitely been a very challenging time for our family.”
Nicastro says her son was “resilient” through all the pokes, prods and surgeries.
“He has come out of every end with a smile,” she said. “He’s incredible.”
Through the bone marrow transplant, there were times when Davis was non-responsive, leaving his family desperate for hope.
“It’s definitely such a relief to be home with him now,” Nicastro said. “There is still that worry that it could come back, and if it does, it makes his chances of fighting it more difficult, but in this moment, we are relieved.”
She and her family are grateful for the community support they’ve received throughout Davis’s battle, especially through the playground initiative.
“We are lost for words,” she said. “We’ve spent all summer in the hospital, separated from Nolan’s two siblings. We haven’t been able to go to playgrounds or do anything as a family. So, this is such a nice way to end the summer for all of us.”
She and her family have received financial and emotional support from friends, family and the Brechin Lions Club.
“So many people have come forward to help us get through this financially and mentally. We could not have done this on our own without everybody,” she said.
Anna Lopes, founder of Million Dollar Smiles, a not-for-profit organization, connected with Davis’s family and learned about their story through social media.
“Nolan’s immune system is so weak that he can’t go to a regular park playground,” she explained. “Building a playground in his backyard creates so many smiles for the family to watch him be a kid even though his journey has been challenging.”
Million Dollar Smiles raises money for its playground initiatives through corporate sponsorships. Individuals can also make a donation here.
