11-year-old Dominque is a major Taylor Swift fan who is currently in her own “Courage Era” as she fights acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

In the spring of 2024, Dominique started to experience some alarming symptoms like daily nosebleeds and intermittent, unexplained pain in her ribs and shoulders. She would often mention to her mom, “that pain is back again,” especially after swimming or biking with her brother.

The progression of these symptoms was gradual but alarming, and her condition had worsened significantly by August. She began limping, developed six swollen lymph nodes, and then started to experience persistent fevers. Dominique and her family made repeated visits to emergency rooms and clinics, but no clear diagnosis was made.

Her condition deteriorated further to the point where she was unable to open her jaw to take medication in the week after Thanksgiving. Her parents rushed her to the emergency department at SickKids, where she was finally admitted.

On Monday the 21st of October, 2024, they received the heart-breaking news…

Dominique had precursor B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Her treatment plan is intensive and complex, shaped by a genetic profile that requires aggressive chemotherapy.

Over the course of her treatment so far, her body has proven highly sensitive which has led to multiple complications including severe allergic reactions, onset of Type 1 diabetes, meningitis-like responses, and prolonged periods of low blood counts. These complications have repeatedly caused delays to her treatment schedule, which is currently expected to span 3 years in total.

Alongside the challenges of treatment and associated side effects, Dominique has had to face and overcome numerous fears including a phobia of needles and difficulty swallowing pills. She has learned how to calm herself down during her regular port access procedures.

Dominique has also endured long hospital admissions, including a month-long stay with a continuous blinatumomab infusion - she received a constant flow of the immunotherapy drug via IV and needed to carry her “Blina Backpack” with her at all times.

Her mom told us, “From the minute our child was diagnosed, the team at SickKids wrapped us in a bubble of compassion and expertise that lifted us up and has carried us through this medical crisis… it's clear that an immense amount of thought, care and attention has been paid on how to carry us through, the worst time of our lives, in the best manner possible.”

In January 2026, Dominique had her port removed after a year and a half of painful accesses and she now receives maintenance chemotherapy treatment through standard IV injections.

She is currently in her third cycle of maintenance treatment, which is less intensive than frontline treatment and has allowed her to return to school and enjoy many of her favourite activities once more.

One of the biggest challenges she continues to face is a condition known as avascular necrosis (AVN) which developed during frontline treatment as a result of the high-dose steroids used to treat her leukemia. AVN has caused significant damage to her bone tissue from waist down, and while her legs are slowly healing as she continues to work hard through weekly physiotherapy and daily exercises, her hip sustained permanent damage and will require surgical intervention at some point.

This incredible girl is so brave and resilient. She excels academically and loves science, physics, engineering, and astronomy. Outside of academics, she also loves musical theatre, piano, singing, gymnastics, and circus arts.

She recently attended a Bruno Mars concert, performed in her school's talent show, and joined a Dungeons & Dragons club! She's also preparing for her Grade 1 piano exam AND learning the ukulele. 

Dominique loves mall days with her best friend Mikayla, spending time with family, and restaurant outings! She is thriving outside of maintenance treatment, and it's amazing to see her enjoying being a little girl once again.

Let’s keep the amazing Dominique in our hearts as we ride this August!