CAYUGA—Cedar Currie’s family thought they were dealing with a stubborn cold. Instead, within hours of arriving at McMaster Children’s Hospital earlier this month, they were confronted with the words no parent expects to hear – malignant tumour.
Four-year-old Cedar of Cayuga was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin Burkitt lymphoma on November 11, 2025 after several days of scans, biopsies, sedations, and urgent testing. The cancer is aggressive and has spread to his sinus, kidney, and bone marrow. His father, Ryan Currie, said the speed of everything has been overwhelming.
“We took him in for what we believed was either a sinus infection or something related to a cold,” said Ryan. “But we were kind of concerned with how the symptoms were more intense than they were before.”
A nurse practitioner in Dunnville first noticed abnormalities in Cedar’s pupils and recommended an immediate trip to McMaster. Ryan said, “They felt it would be a better suited hospital rather than Dunnville to really look onto the issues that they were seeing.”
By 10:30 p.m. on November 5, doctors informed the family that a malignant tumour had been found. Over the next seven days, Cedar underwent up to six sedations for CT scans, MRIs, bone marrow tests, spinal taps, and biopsies before being fully diagnosed on November 11.
Cedar is already in the second phase of chemotherapy and entering his third. The treatment is extremely aggressive.
“The first few weeks of chemo at this aggressive stage kill 98% of the cancer in his body,” Ryan said. “But it’s the 2% that makes the chemo drag out so long because they’ve gotta’ get those 2% to remove any possibility of it coming back.”
Cedar will remain an inpatient at McMaster for approximately six months.
While Cedar fights through sedations, new medications, lumbar punctures, and ongoing scans, the family is balancing life at home with five other children, aged 1.5 to 14. Mom Esther has been staying with Cedar, with Ryan having to “make sure someone is here for (the other children). They’re missing their brother, they’re missing their mom, they’re missing our normal family dynamic.”
Schedules for gymnastics, CrossFit, art classes, and school have been difficult to manage, with Ryan leaning on other family members for support “because I have to do two places at the same time.”
Ryan is also the family’s only source of income, but the pressure of needing to take leave from work is heavy.
“My brain’s not even there to be honest. My focus is making sure my wife has food because she’s at the hospital and that my son gets the treatments he needs. I can’t focus on the other things,” he said.
That is where Cedar’s aunt, Erica Hunter, stepped in. She created a GoFundMe to help the Currie family shoulder the financial strain of months-long hospital care, lost income, travel costs, and basic needs at home.
“Honestly, it’s been pretty overwhelming,” Hunter said. “I initially started it about a week ago, but I wanted to give Esther and Ryan some time to look it over and make sure we had all the right information. Once I got the go-ahead, I started sharing it.”
When she posted it on the Cayuga Today Facebook page, momentum surged.
“It just took off like a rocket,” she said. Donations climbed steadily, reaching nearly $9,000 within two days. “The community has just been overwhelmingly awesome.”
Hunter said Cedar is “a tough little guy” and the family cannot wait for the day he rings the bell signalling the end of treatment.
“We love him so much,” she said. “We are waiting for the day he comes home and makes his family whole again.”
Ryan said the support from neighbours, churches, friends, and strangers around the world has stunned them.
“We know he is being prayed for worldwide,” he said. “People are still donating, still asking how they can help, still dropping groceries, meals, anything they can. I can’t begin to put into words how we feel about that.”
Ryan said McMaster Children’s Hospital has also been a blessing: “They are phenomenal people. Amazing doctors. He is in the best care and the best hands.”
The family has a long road ahead, but they are not walking it alone. To donate, visit gofundme.com/f/cedar-stands-tall.
