Alisha’s Story

In May 2019, shortly after her first birthday, Alisha was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive brain cancer called atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor (ATRT). For her treatment, we moved from our home in London, Ontario to Toronto for six months and stayed at the Ronald McDonald House, which was an invaluable resource for us. During her treatment at the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), Alisha underwent numerous brain surgeries and some of the harshest chemotherapy regimens that can be administered on children, including high-dose chemotherapy and bone marrow transplant. In December 2019, her treatment at SickKids came to an end, and we returned to our home in London.

Two weeks later, Alisha’s tumour came back.

This time, Alisha’s treatment resumed at London’s Children’s Hospital. Alisha was happiest at home and all efforts were directed to ensure that we, as her parents, were equipped to manage her care whenever she was not going through active chemotherapy treatment in hospital. Despite this, she needed blood transfusions once a week, every week, for six months. As COVID19 gripped the world, hospitals became an incredibly isolating experience.

Our little soldier fought on through thick and thin, but the course of treatment eventually took a toll on her little body, and she passed away shortly after her second birthday. Her fighting spirit lives on in the impact she is having on the countless people who have heard about her journey.

This Foundation will be her Legacy.

Alisha Noor Jilani
(May 4, 2018 - June 2, 2020)