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He Almost Didn't Survive. Now He Calls It the Best Time of His Life.
Description
This podcast episode lives at the intersection of hope, community, and the quiet heroism of parenthood.
It is not a cancer story — it is a story about what human beings are capable of when everything is stripped away.
On Canada Day 2019, Janelle Stanley's 2.5 year-old son Finley was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. His platelet count was 9. He could have bled out internally without a single warning sign.
Within hours, Janelle was on a Learjet to BC Children's Hospital — no wallet, no change of clothes, no plan. Just her son, and the terrifying unknown.
What she didn't know yet was that the place waiting for them — Ronald McDonald House BC and Yukon — was a place she had helped design.
In this episode of August After Dark, Janelle shares the raw, real, and deeply moving story of what it means to let go of control, lean on community, and watch your child not just survive — but thrive.
Today, Finley is in remission, approaching five years cancer free. He describes his time during treatment as the best time of his life.
This conversation is for every parent who has ever felt helpless. Every family who has sat in a waiting room not knowing what comes next. And everyone who wants to understand what Ronald McDonald House truly means to the families inside its walls.
🔗 Donate and support Finley's 5-year cancer-free milestone: augustafterdark.com