Rayan

Giving hope to families battling childhood cancer

When parents Noura Abdullah and Rebar Esmail noticed a small bump on their young son Rayan’s stomach, they trusted their instincts and sought answers. What followed is news that would change their lives forever.

In October 2025 Rayan was diagnosed with hepatoblastoma, a rare childhood liver cancer. His mother says hearing this news made time stand still.

“It felt like the ground disappeared beneath me,” she says. “No parent is ever prepared to hear that their child has cancer. I felt fear, helplessness, and disbelief, but also an overwhelming determination to fight for Rayan with everything I had.”

Rayan started specialized cancer treatment and was admitted to HSC Children’s Hospital before his third birthday where his care team quickly became central to the family’s life.

Recently, Rayan completed his second cycle of chemotherapy and is preparing to begin his third. He moves between different hospital units depending on his needs. He is closely monitored by his medical team and has his blood is checked constantly.

While the path forward remains uncertain, the family takes things one step at a time. Guided by the expertise and recommendations of Rayan’s care team, the family hopes that surgery isn’t necessary but may be needed once the chemo treatment is complete.

Throughout long hospital days and emotionally exhausting weeks, Rayan’s family has leaned heavily on the compassion and skill of the staff at Manitoba’s only children’s hospital. For Noura, the deeply personal moments stand out most.

She recalls a nurse who sat beside Rayan during a difficult procedure, holding his hand and speaking to him gently. “She didn’t just care for him medically, she cared for him emotionally,” Noura said. “It reminded us that we weren’t going through this alone.”

That sense of support defines the family’s experience at children’s. According to Noura, staff consistently took time to explain procedures, learn Rayan’s preferences and help him cope with fear and discomfort. “They didn’t just treat a patient, they treated our whole family.”

Despite ongoing treatment, Rayan continues to show remarkable resilience. His mother describes him as strong, brave and sweet. She says he finds joy in simple things like playing with his toys, watching his favourite shows, spending time outdoors and being with family.

“Despite everything he has been through, his smile is still the brightest part of our lives,” she says.

For Rayan’s family, HSC Children’s Hospital has become a second home and continues to be at the center of his care with teams overseeing treatments, follow-up appointments and monitoring his wellbeing as he continues his fight against cancer.

“Children’s Hospital changed our lives,” Noura says. “It gave Rayan the chance to keep fighting and gave us hope when we felt hopeless.”

That is why the family says the redevelopment of CK5, the childhood cancer, blood disorders and transplant ward, matters so much to them. They have not yet been able to be in the space because of the current redevelopment, but they find comfort knowing it is being reimagined with children and families in mind during an already overwhelming time in their lives.

“When you spend long hours in the hospital, the environment truly matters,” Noura says. “Having a space that feels welcoming, supportive and easier to navigate makes a huge difference.”

The childhood cancer, blood disorders and transplants ward hasn’t been updated since the 1980s. With this redevelopment CK5 will have more child-friendly, family-focused spaces for patients like Rayan – spaces that support not only medical care, but emotional well-being during long hospital stays.

Funding for this campaign also helps world-class research at the Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba (CHRIM). The ground-breaking research at PROMISE (Pediatric Research in Oncology in Manitoba: Innovation, Science, Excellence) aims to find breakthrough treatments for kids in Manitoba and beyond.

For Rayan’s family, sharing their story is about more than reflecting on what they’ve endured. It’s about showing how important HSC Children’s Hospital is to more than 140,000 kids who need care every year.

“Children’s Hospital saves lives every day,” Noura says.

As Rayan continues his treatment, his family remains grateful for the care they received and for the donors who make that care possible. “You may never meet the children you help,” Noura says, “but you are part of their stories forever.”

“When you give, you are giving a child another chance. You are giving a family hope.”

Urgent support is needed to update and revitalize the patient rooms, treatment areas and family spaces in CK5.

Your gift to the childhood cancer, blood disorders and transplants campaign will help young patients who go through some of the most challenging and complex illnesses and spend weeks or months receiving care in hospital.

Together we can reimagine and improve the care they receive through ward renovations that bring upgrades to bedside equipment and technology, improved infection prevention, comfortable furniture and family-friendly spaces. Your gift will fund an improved kitchen in the ward, child-focused colour and imagery on walls in each room and ongoing research into childhood cancer at the Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba.