Five-year-old Brooke Aubuchon and her mother Robin Brand returned from New York last week following potential life-saving surgery for the local child.
They arrived home on March 13 following the surgery on Feb. 26. Aubuchon was diagnosed last October with Batten disease, an inherited disorder of the nervous system. It's the same disease that killed her older brother Alexander in September 2011.
Aubuchon's surgery on Feb. 26 was part of a revolutionary clinical trial that could lead to a cure for the fatal disease. Brand told the Innisfail Province after they returned that the surgery went well.
“She's recovered very well,” she said of her daughter. “She's got new words coming out. Her drooling isn't as bad as it used to be.”
The surgery lasted over six hours. The family will now have to wait about two years before the success of the surgery can be determined.
“It could take up to two years to know if it's going to work or not,” Brand said. “It's a clinical trial so we just don't know what's going to come out of it.”
But Brand said she and the family remain hopeful.
“We've crossed our fingers and we're hopeful for the best.”
In the meantime, Aubuchon will return to New York on a regular basis as part of the process. The family will travel back to New York for a followup on April 2. Their next trip will come six months after that.
Residents of Innisfail and the region have donated over $15,000 to help the family cover the costs.
“They've been excellent,” Brand said of the community. “We're so very grateful and thankful for everybody's help.”
