Astral Media and Steve Lowell Welcomes Samuel

A Little Treasure

When Steve recounts the almost unbelievable experience of finding out his son had Rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare cancer, he focuses on all the remarkable people that surrounded the family at their darkest time. The family have been through a difficult journey but have tried to keep positive throughout the numerous ups and downs that come with cancer.

The journey began in September 2011 when Steve and his wife Julie noticed that something was wrong with Samuel’s eye. Initially it was thought to simply be a stye, an eyelid bump. The bump continued to grow and numerous trips back and forth to the doctor eventually diagnosed a cyst that would have to be surgically removed.

When doctors operated in November 2011, they were alarmed to discover that the cyst, behind his eye, was in fact a very large cancerous tumour. As with all cases of childhood cancers, treatment was immediate.

Samuel, four at the time, began a 24 week cycle of chemotherapy and radiation treatment and his family never left his side.

As much as Steve remembers the very emotional and difficult time, he continues to focus on the positives.

"It was the best of a bad situation in a way. The location of the tumour was in the best possible spot. It didn’t spread. Samuel didn’t lose his eye and he has perfect vision. We are feeling really positive now even though it was horrible as we were going through it," Steve says.

To this day, Steve and Julie are still amazed from the outpouring of love and support that they received from his community of friends and family. Steve recalls, "We had people step forward to lend a hand, cook us a warm meal and just provide a shoulder to cry on, we are so grateful."

During treatment Samuel was informed that he would receive a wish from Children’s Wish.

He is fascinated with all things related to Pirates and is looking forward to a very unique wish experience. A charter boat company operating in the British Virgin Islands provides Pirate-themed excursions. The charter boat will move around islands during the week long cruise and disembark at Pirate stops along the way; there is Pirate restaurant on one island and an authentic shipwreck in the surrounding waters. Steve has an extra special event planned for Samuel. Steve is going to request that the charter company bury a treasure chest on one of the secluded islands and then he is going to create a map so that Samuel can go on a real life treasure hunt.

For now, Steve, Julie and Sam’s nine year old sister Hannah, are thankful that the worst is behind them and they can focus, as a family, on the future and on helping Sam find his treasure.