Helping The Ediris Family

In December 2023, 5-year-old Firomsa was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), a rare and aggressive form of bone marrow cancer. The diagnosis came after weeks of illness that doctors initially thought was the flu. His mother, Hawi, took him to be checked several times, but it was only after insisting on bloodwork that the truth emerged. Eight hours later, the family received the urgent call: 

“Get him to the hospital fast.” 

His hemoglobin was dangerously low, and further tests revealed the cancer.

Board Member and Quantus Mortgage Solutions broker, Cheryl Morrier from Community Key, met the family earlier this year. Hawi was working that day, so Cheryl spent time with Tahir, Firomsa, and his sisters, Milkii and Fenet. 

Cheryl recalls,

“Very cute kids. Firomsa is slowly getting his strength back and more energy. He’s very happy to be at home now and just goes for frequent visits to the hospital.”

The road to this point has not been easy. In November 2024, the whole family came down with the flu, but Firomsa never fully recovered. Since then, the family has spent most of their time near the Alberta Children’s Hospital for treatment. They have high praise for the hospital staff, the team at Ronald McDonald House, and the other families they bonded with during their hospital stay. Many of those connections have continued even after returning home.

Tahir’s job could not be held during this period, and he plans to look for work soon. For now, the family is focused on recovering from the stress of the past months and enjoying time together at home.

Tahir shared, 

“There is always hope in this world as long as there are people like you and the [Community] Key community, who are selfless and stand by others in pain. We are so grateful for the support you have given us. We have great hope that our little shiny boy will continue to brighten up our lives.”

With help from Community Key, the family was able to access housing support so they could stay close to the hospital during treatments. That support gave them one less worry during an overwhelming season of life.