Ten years of giving back: Caleb’s Courage - A legacy of love and bravery

Caleb MacArthur loved superheroes. At the age of three, he became one. 

On his third birthday - April 21, 2014 - Caleb was diagnosed with Stage 4 high risk neuroblastoma. It's a childhood cancer that develops in immature nerve cells and eventually forms solid tumours.

Over the next year, Caleb and neuroblastoma engaged in an epic battle. Wearing his superhero pajamas and armed with his trusty sword, Caleb was strong and brave as he fought the evil cancer. They fought at the IWK Health Centre in Halifax, the Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto and on the pediatric unit at Cape Breton Regional Hospital. With every fight, Caleb's courage only grew stronger. 

"He never said 'poor me,' he never complained about going to the hospital and we made multiple trips to hospitals. He had no time for being sick," said Mike MacArthur, Caleb's dad, who is also the provincial director of occupational health safety and wellness with Nova Scotia Health.

After Caleb passed away on March 24, 2015, his parents Mike and Nicole Forgeron-MacArthur, wanted to do something to honour him. They also wanted to thank everyone who supported their family through Caleb's cancer journey. 

"The community support was overwhelming, the whole community wrapped their arms around our family," said Mike. "We were just two parents who wanted to give back."

On April 21, 2015, Caleb's Courage had its first event - a celebration with family and friends to mark Caleb's birthday and raise funds for the Cape Breton Regional Hospital Foundation. In June, they held a Kitchen Party that raised $15,000. After that, Caleb's Courage was off and running. 

The mission of Caleb's Courage is "Helping little superheroes fighting BIG battles." It raises funds to provide support to critically ill children and their families in Cape Breton. 

"It is important to keep in mind that when a child is diagnosed with a critical illness, often times at least one parent has to leave their job to care for them full-time," said Nicole. "This results in a significant loss of income for families, particularly those who are self-employed or do not have job security and benefits."

Caleb's Courage relieves some of the stress on families by funding medication, purchasing specialized medical equipment, and helping with travel and accommodations for hospital visits. It supports "kids being kids" while they are ill by providing toys, games, wigs, Superhero quilts, and support services like tutoring for school work. It also supports Family Fun activities with gift cards for things like dinners, movies and bowling, which reflect Caleb's love of family time. 

"Caleb was full of fun, full of life and mischievous," said Mike. "He loved to laugh, had a great sense of humour, and loved spending time with his siblings. He was a baby brother to his older sisters Ella and Aubreigh, and he quickly adapted to being a big brother to the twins (Lauchlin and Emery). He loved making the twins laugh."

Caleb's Courage also works to enhance the pediatric unit at Cape Breton Regional Hospital. It has provided equipment, furniture, and room updates for the unit including Caleb's SUPERHERO Suite. The room is a "home away from home" for sick children and their families. The walls are covered in brightly coloured murals. It has a play area, TV, gaming system and a large bed so families can snuggle together. 

Some priority "wish list" items like an industrial washer & dryer, new sleeper chairs, and big "smart" screen TVs for all patient rooms have been added to the unit to create the warmth, comfort, and convenience of home. Caleb's Courage continues to work on other additions like renovating the unit's family room, tub room, and a second "SUPERHERO Suite." 

"Ultimately, our goal is to transform the entire Pediatrics Unit into a more fun and functional 'home away from home' for our little superheroes and their families," said Nicole. 

The MacArthurs are incredibly grateful for the extensive community support they have received over the past decade. Funds raised for Caleb's Courage come from a wide range of sources: from kids' lemonade stands and silver collections at schools to local business and charity partnerships to corporate fundraisers. These are in addition to Caleb's Courage events such as Caleb's SUPERHERO Day in March and Caleb's SUPERHERO Walk, Run, FLY! held in September for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. This year's events are even more special because they honour 10 years of Caleb's Courage in Cape Breton, a milestone the MacArthur family proudly celebrates with their community. 

SUPERHERO Day is marked on March 24 each year to honour Caleb's life and legacy with people wearing either a Caleb's Courage or a superhero t-shirt. The day is recognized and supported in communities throughout Cape Breton and beyond, including the Cape Breton Regional Municipality, the Cape Breton Victoria Regional Centre for Education, Nova Scotia Health and many other organizations and businesses. 

Caleb's SUPERHERO Walk, Run, FLY! is a family-fun event that includes a one-or-five kilometre walk along the "Trail of Heroes" featuring the photos and stories of local little superheroes. It also includes food, music, games and more. Participants are encouraged to dress as their favourite superhero and can register as a team or individual. Caleb's SUPERHERO Walk, Run, FLY! takes place on Sunday, Sept. 28 at 10 a.m. in Petersfield Provincial Park in Westmount. People can register and/or donate what they can at www.calebscourage.com. 

For Mike and Nicole, building Caleb's legacy is a life-long mission. Caleb's Courage has set up an endowment fund - "Caleb's Legacy of Love" - through the support of donors. The fund ensures that there will be help for critically ill children and their families for years to come. Both Mike and Nicole are proud that 100 per cent of the donations received are used to fulfil the top priorities for "our little superheroes and those who care for them."

"Caleb had an inner strength - what he could handle was beyond belief," said Mike. "He was the strongest, most inspirational person I've ever known."

Photo: Caleb MacArthur