Birth ends couple’s year in joyful way

To say 2009 has been a tough year for Whitehorse residents Mark and Meghan Callan would be an understatement.

To say 2009 has been a tough year for Whitehorse residents Mark and Meghan Callan would be an understatement.

However, it seems the couple has found a bright light at the end of the year with this week’s birth of their daughter, Hadley Beth Callan.

“We’re on a real buzz right now,” Meghan told the Star from their Vancouver apartment.

The couple, who had moved back to Whitehorse last May, ended up spending much of the later part of the year in Vancouver. That’s where Mark has been treated for CNS lymphoma after a four-centimetre tumour was discovered on his brain last August.

They found themselves renting out an apartment in Vancouver while also trying to pay their mortgage in Whitehorse at the same time they expected their first child.

After months of treatment, which included chemotherapy and radiation, Mark wrapped up his last radiation session on Dec. 21, six days before Hadley was born, or three days after she was due to arrive.

“It’s kind of a funny time,” Meghan said, adding that right now they are enjoying five weeks free of appointments with both sets of their parents visiting as well as other family members.

Postings on the couple’s blog (http://www.smashinit.blogspot.com) have chronicled their journey through treatment over the last few months.

For the most part, the major side effect for Mark from the treatment of late has been fatigue. If there are to be side affects, fatigue is not such a bad one, Meghan said.

Though there was help available for the couple during Hadley’s delivery if Mark needed rest, they managed to make it through the 42-hour labour without calling in reinforcements, and Mark getting rest during the calmer periods, Meghan said.

It’s still hard to say how Mark’s condition will impact the baby’s care, though Meghan said it will likely be OK if Mark paces his rest properly. Right now, Meghan said, Hadley sleeps a lot, and it’s wonderful to have the family there for support.

She also expressed her gratitude to all the financial assistance that has come in from across the country over the past few months.

“It’s been amazing; the amount of support we’ve had,” Meghan said.

Most recently, 250 people turned out for a fund-raiser in Toronto. In September, a fund-raiser in Whitehorse brought in more than $7,000 for the couple.

Meghan noted she’s been fortunate to have her mother, Karen McGuire, assisting with the donations coming through.

“People have been more than generous,” McGuire said, noting that she accepts the donations then transfers the funds to the Callans’ account.

The donations have petered out of late, McGuire said, though she commented as well the family has stopped actively seeking donations given the generosity that has already come through.

As the Callans head into the New Year, they will spend the first couple of weeks or so enjoying their time as a young family with no appointments.

The medical appointments will then start again towards the end of next month and give them a sense of how the radiation has gone.

In February, they are set to go on a retreat for young adults dealing with cancer. Being in Vancouver in February, they’ve also decided to stick around to take in some of the Olympics. After that, they plan to return home to the Yukon.

“We miss home,” Meghan said.

Anyone wanting to offer financial assistance to the couple can do so by mailing a cheque or money order to McGuire at Box 117, Elgin, Ont. K0G 1E0.