Pictures: Isabella Doubleday
When Frances Everall was four, doctors told her parents they should take their youngest child home to die.
Having been diagnosed with a deadly stage-four cancer of the nervous system, Frances wasn’t expected to survive.
But Frances, who now identifies as non-binary and goes by the name of Finn, had a secret weapon – quick-thinking parents who’d banked their youngest child’s cord blood.
“Being able to bank cord blood had only been allowed in New Zealand a month before I was born,” says Finn, now 21.
“My parents, Janine and Kris Everall, were some of the first in this country to freeze and store my umbilical cord. They didn’t think it would be needed so soon, but after six surgeries, including an eight hour operation at Auckland’s Starship Hospital to remove a 13cm tumour and 13 rounds of chemotherapy, the doctors’ final option was to infuse me with my own cord blood to rebuild my immune system.”
Cord blood, which can only be taken from a baby immediately after birth, contains stem cells and has been used to successfully strengthen immune systems after cancer treatments, as well as regenerate brain tissue after injuries.
“We believe I’m the first Kiwi child to have their life saved by their own umbilical cord blood,” says Finn. Their fight for life was documented by Janine in her 2010 book, Saving Frances: Beating Cancer With Courage & Cord Blood.
Finn was discharged from hospital three weeks after the infusion and has been in remission since 2008.
Life after Finn’s cancer
A few years after surgery, Finn was invited to Camp Quality, a camp for children with cancer.
“When I turned eight, I went to my first Camp Quality in Auckland. It changed my life,” Finn shares.
Camp Quality started in the ’80s. Today, it provides recreational activities in five regions across Aotearoa, and has helped Finn feel less alone.
“At school, I was bullied for losing my hair and taking medication,” Finn recalls. “Kids laughed at my bald head, and asked all sorts of intrusive questions. They often asked why I was so frail and couldn;t participate in activities. They also made me self-conscious about the medication I had to take.
“But at Camp Quality, there’s no judgement. No one thinks you’re weird because you’re sick and lost your hair. We’re just there to have fun and rise above the challenges we’re facing.”
Some of the camp activities Finn enjoyed included day trips to theme park Rainbow’s End and a disco night. They also loved partaking in courses such as archery and rope skills.
“They even made taking our medication fun!”
Finn loved it so much that the twice-yearly camps – winter and summer – became the highlight of the year for the next eight years until Finn aged out of the not-for-profit system at 16. But Finn never forgot the impact that Camp Quality had.
“I had such a great time that I wanted to pass that on to a new generation. I signed up as a volunteer, because every kid is assigned an adult companion who helps them at camp.”
Finn shadowed other companions during the summer camp earlier this year to learn the ropes. They recently returned as a fully fledged companion for the winter camp.
Winter camp’s fully fledged companion
“It means so much to the kids that they can have a break from their lives of medical appointments and bullying. They should be able to just be themselves, rather than being defined by their cancer,” explains Finn. “We have a saying at Camp Quality that we can’t improve the quantity of their lives, but we can improve the quality.”
It’s what drove Finn to save annual leave from their job as a cook at a retirement home.
“I know from my own experience how important these camps are. I’m happy to save my work leave to attend the summer and winter camps.”
When Finn isn’t working or at Camp Quality, they’re finishing a degree in culinary arts at AUT.
“I graduate this year and the dream is to one day open a café that’s fully accessible for wheelchair users, but also with staff who know sign language and menus in Braille. I’m not aware of any cafés like that. But if cooking doesn’t work out as a career, the other plan is to become a home economics teacher and pass on my skills to others.”
No matter which career path Finn follows, they’re determined that Camp Quality will be part of it.
“I’m going to go back each summer and winter to help as much as I can,” Finn enthuses. “I’d encourage others who are able to volunteer to do so. Camp Quality is 100% volunteer-led. They’re looking for volunteers of every background around the country to help make special memories for campers and build resilience for kids living with cancer.”
For more info or to donate, head to campquality.org.nz.
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