Newest New Westie Wesley needs your help

It is the last thing any parent wants to hear: that their child is ill.

Unfortunately, it’s the reality for the Wiebe family, which recently welcomed their newest bundle of joy, Wesley, on April 24. He joins brothers Ben and Theo.

Despite the current outlook, Wesley’s family and friends refuse to give up: they’d known about the little one’s 9cm tumour when his mother, Jen, was 34 weeks pregnant with him. Doctors had told the Wiebes Wesley wouldn’t survive to term—but this little fighter has been pushing back: he’s eating well, smiling, and holding people’s hands.

“Jen has done so much for my family, just random little things like school pick-up, and we’ve formed a nice little friendship, a nice little mom group. For the last couple of years, we’ve had each other’s back with kids because our schedules are so unpredictable,” family friend Cindy Labbe tells The Anchor, adding her little boy is best friends with Ben.

Recalling the news of Jen being pregnant with Wesley, she said it was such an exciting, happy time for their little group in Victoria Hill.

Things seemed to change in a snap.

“[News of the tumour] happened so quickly. We had to step up as moms, as neighbours, step up where we could. Once I saw the prognosis wasn’t great, I was like, ‘they’re going to need more help than we think.’”

Labbe said that the impact of a GoFundMe for this family was the most felt—because Tom, who works in shipbuilding for Seaspan has had to take time away from work. Jen is a stay-at-home-mom, but she’s often spotted out and about in the community: serving as the president of Queen’s Park Preschool, and volunteering at New West Family Place and the New West Farmers’ Market. Labbe added the couple are quite active in their church. Jen delivered Wesley early via C-section—a few months ahead of his original June 1 due date—she too is still recovering.

“I wanted to give back in a more tangible way than loving messages and prayers. And I think the community feels that as well.”

Labbe has seen firsthand how much the Wiebes love their community. Now, she’s hoping the community will love the Wiebes right back.

“They are the most selfless people, and they’re so kind, and so generous to the community…[they’re always giving to] their neighbours, their church. And so, to see the response from the community, they’re overwhelmed. They felt bad asking for these things, for people’s donations, because they’re just so humble,” Labbe explains, adding that the Wiebes have been stunned to see the number of people who have spared what they can, whether donations, meals, or lending a hand in some other way. “It’s not the dollar amount that’s come in, it’s the number of donations that’ve come in. They’re looking at the people behind it, not the dollar amount.”

As for Wesley, he has a long way to go. He’s still in care at BC Childrens’ Hospital, and doctors are still trying to figure out what kind of tumour he has.

“He had the biopsy done on Friday [April 28] and the results can take anywhere from five days to three weeks. There are so many kinds of cancers that they’re checking for—basically to see what responds to chemotherapy, and what kind [it could be].”

Unsurprisingly, the Wiebes are optimistic, says Labbe. Wesley celebrated his first week of life on May 1.

“They are so hopeful for a miracle. The path is unclear, and we’re still waiting on biopsy results, test results, diagnostic results from the doctors to see how they can treat this.”

If you’d like to help the Wiebes, be sure to take a look at their GoFundMe page.