Four-year-old Nicolas Henkel of Sylvan Lake is now battling cancer for the second time. A family friend has now reactivated a GoFundMe campaign in support of Nicolas and his family. (Photos supplied)

By Sheldon Spackman

Strong Fighter

Community support growing for young Sylvan Lake boy battling cancer for second time

Dec 24, 2020 | 4:18 PM

Central Albertans are stepping up once again with strong support for a four-year-old Sylvan Lake boy battling cancer.

Nicolas Henkel was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia over Easter weekend in 2018 at just 16-months-old.

Since then, he has undergone many chemotherapy and radiation treatments, as well as a bone marrow transplant donated by his father Chad Henkel.

Though he has had lingering side effects from the intense treatments and has remained on multiple medications, Nicolas was thought to be in remission over the past couple of years.

However, after not feeling well recently, multiple trips to the Children’s Hospital due to fevers, undergoing multiple tests (including a negative COVID-19 test) and bloodwork, Nicolas’ family received news that their little warrior would have to begin his fight once again – for the second time in four years.

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Nicolas was admitted to the Children’s Hospital in Calgary on Dec. 11 to undergo a dose of spinal chemotherapy, a bone marrow aspiration (procedure to take a sample of the liquid of the soft tissue inside the bones) and had a central line placed.

Family friend Bridget Henkel has reactivated a GoFundMe campaign for young Nicolas and his family in hopes of easing some of the financial stress that comes with his treatment and some lengthy stays at the Ronald McDonald House in Calgary.

Nicolas’s mother Jamelle Bloomer says her son’s issues began once again after having a little fall on his fourth birthday on Nov. 17.

“Ever since then, he’s been complaining about being sore, so he wouldn’t walk or anything like that,” explains Bloomer. “We took him to the emergency room and x-rays showed nothing, like no fracture or anything on his tailbone and then we were at the Children’s hospital just for a check-up and they did more x-rays because he still wasn’t walking at that time and they still found nothing.”

Following the submission of a blood sample however, Bloomer notes that doctors found leukemia blast cells in his blood.

“Two days later, we went back and he got a lumbar puncture done and they found quite a bit of blasts in his bone marrow, so like 42 per cent blasts in there of the leukemia cells,” reveals Bloomer. “That’s why he was having so much pain walking because the leukemia cells fill the bones and then you get pain because there’s a pressure in there. So now we’ve started his second battle.”

According to Bloomer, it’s still to be determined what kind of chemotherapy treatments Nicolas now faces, but she acknowledges another bone marrow transplant is currently in the works.

“It can’t be his dad this time,” says Bloomer. “But it does put him more likely to get infection, so that’s where we’re at now. We’ll probably be back in Calgary for the second round of chemo in about a week or two, as long as his numbers come up good.”

Bloomer says she can’t thank the community enough for all the support they’ve received already.

“I’ve gotten so many personal message sent to me just saying they’re backing us and good luck with everything and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year,” she explains. “It’s amazing living in a small town and knowing so many people and even Red Deer as well. I’m just overwhelmed actually by the amount of support we get from just – strangers. It’s really been a blessing for us.”

Bloomer says that Nicolas has truly been a hero throughout his ordeal.

“He never really complains about what he’s going through,” she remarks. “He rolls his sleeve up as soon as he sees the needle coming and he’s four. The second after they’re done he’ll give the nurse a high-five and he’s so forgiving and he has a smile on his face all the time and he’s so happy. He’s just an amazing little strong fighter.”

To learn more and keep up-to-date with Nicolas’s upcoming challenges, visit the Facebook page Brave Nicolas.