Humboldt father and husband continuing battle with leukemia

Ficko was diagnosed on Oct. 12, admitted into Humboldt District Hopsital the same day, and began chemo therapy treatment three days later.

In the ninth week of a two and a half year chemo program, Ficko noticed some issues. He had a fever, rash, and sores on his mouth.

Ficko checked into Humboldt’s hospital once more, where he was later admitted into a hospital in Saskatoon for more testing.

Results confirmed on Jan. 16 that Ficko’s cancer had returned.

After a second round of more aggressive chemo therapy, the news Ficko, his wife Cynthia, three children, and brother in-law Maury Simoneau had been waiting for finally arrived.

“We found out last Wednesday that the chemo had been put back into remission,” Simoneau told northeastNOW. “This is what we’ve all been praying for. Now Jamie got admitted into the Saskatoon Hospital again yesterday and started a maintenance round of chemo today.

“He started his six-day chemo treatment, and on Feb. 25 he’s going to have a stem cell treatment, with the donor being his father.”

After the stem cell transplant and bone marrow harvest from his dad, Ficko will be in the hospital for about four weeks to be closely monitored.

There are a few things the doctors and Ficko’s family are aware of, one being graft versus host disease (GVHD). Following a transplant of stem cells or an organ, there’s the potential of the body rejecting it in full or fighting it off. GVHD shows up in some symptoms ranging from hair loss to digestive tract issues.

“For the next three to six months he’ll be required to live in Saskatoon,” Simoneau said. “He’ll have to undergo any hospital trips, just in terms of monitoring, probably three or four times a week.”

The acute period is in the first three months following the stem cell transplant where Ficko will be more exposed to GVHD, then it moves into the chronic phase in the next nine months.

Simoneau said Jamie and Cynthia Ficko are aware of multiple percentages in play so it helps them understand the road to beating cancer, although there’s one statistic that has the Ficko’s top priority.

“Jamie is very focused in on full recovery, which is at about 50 or 60 per cent,” he said. “He’s a strong individual and that’s the one he’s focused on, he wants to beat this in full.”

The road to recovery is unfortunately filled with some costs. Along with Jamie living in Saskatoon, away from his hometown of Humboldt for hospital trips, there’s going to be expenses for Cynthia traveling back and forth to check in, as well as getting their three children in to visit often.

Jamie’s job as an operations lead for SaskEnergy’s Humboldt office will also take a step back.

“I think right now work is obviously secondary to Jamie, he’s very focused on battling his cancer,” Simoneau said. “For the near and long-term future, he’s going to be focused on beating this disease. Sask Energy has been very supportive of Jamie’s way forward.”

Funding for the Ficko’s has been coming in recently. A GoFundMe fundraising account started online by Jamie’s friend Matt Brown has garnered over $23,000 and a fundraiser on Feb. 15 brought in what Simoneau believes to be in the ballpark of $20,000.

Along with financial assistance, Simoneau said some residents in Humboldt have helped Jamie and Cynthia with watching their children when she needs to visit him in the hospital.

Simoneau said the Ficko family is grateful and humbled by the support shown from people in Humboldt and beyond, although Jamie has one message he’d like to get across.

“Jamie has always mentioned the importance of getting people on the donor list for stem cell transplant and the importance of giving blood,” he said. “He’s received a number of transfusions and wants people to just be aware of how important it is.

“At the end of the day when folks are fighting through diseases like this, they go to registry and the more people on there, the higher probability of being able to save or support somebody as they battle through whatever ails them.”

Simoneau said the best way for people who want to help the Ficko family is through the GoFundMe account.

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Photo: (Matt Brown/GoFundMe).

aaron.schulze@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @SchulzePANow

by Aaron Schulze

Humboldt father and husband continuing battle with leukemia

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