Winnipeg family relocates to Memphis for son’s lifesaving leukemia treatment

A Winnipeg couple has temporarily relocated to Memphis, Tennessee, in search of lifesaving treatment for their 3-year-old son, Bennett Bacasmas, who was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia just over a year ago — a rare and aggressive blood cancer more commonly found in adults.

Tianna Hawula and Carl Bacasmas say they’ve exhausted nearly all available treatment options in Winnipeg. After Bennett relapsed following chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant, the family was left with few paths forward.

“We basically utilized all of our treatment options back home in Winnipeg, and typically for most people it would be an end-of-the-road kind of conversation,” said Hawula. “But we were very fortunate to have not only one clinical trial show up but two.”

One trial was in Toronto and wouldn’t begin for another month. The other, based in Memphis, offered a quicker start — making the decision to head south an easy one. The family expects to remain in Memphis until early May.

“We had to make decisions quickly, we had to reach out to people immediately, and of course, our team was doing that on our behalf,” Hawula said. “There was a lot of communication, and we were actually supposed to come here two weeks later than we did. But when they saw Bennett’s condition and what his levels were at, they wanted him here sooner — so it was kind of like, ‘Hey guys, we’ll have you here in two days.’”

Despite the sudden move and ongoing treatment, Hawula says Bennett has remained in good spirits. However, after completing another round of chemotherapy in Memphis, he’s been feeling drained.

“There’s a lot of… I want to say guilt almost, that comes with it, because it’s not us who are personally going through it,” said Hawula. “And he’s so little. Every parent wants to take the burden off of their children.”

“It’s definitely hard on us — or for me, anyway — seeing him go through all these things,” added Bacasmas. “He doesn’t want to take medicine, but he needs to, because that’s the only way he can get better. It’s very hard, very challenging. When things are not going so well and he’s not happy, it’s hard to see him in that position.”

To help ease the financial burden of the temporary relocation and treatment, the family has set up a GoFundMe page. Supporters can find the link on Tianna Hawula’s Facebook page.