Anna Bickell is a seven-year-old survivor who is paying it forward to a boy she鈥檚 meeting for the first time tomorrow (Nov. 4).

Two years after battling cancer, Anna is a healthy Grade 2 student and she, dad Mark, mom Lisa, and 10-year-old brother Matthew are hoping to pass on the positive experience they had 鈥� through the BC & Yukon Chapter of The Children鈥檚 Wish Foundation of Canada 鈥� to a family in Maple Ridge.

Children鈥檚 Wish 鈥� which grants the wishes of children ages three to 17 diagnosed with a life-threatening illnesses 鈥� sent the Bickell family to Disney鈥檚 Aulani Resort in Oahu, Hawaii this past February.

鈥淟isa and I were very touched by our experience with Children鈥檚 Wish,鈥� said Mark, who described the non-profit as 鈥渁n organization that you want to be part of, because you see the joy and good that they bring from something that was quite the opposite.鈥�

This marks the second year that the Bickell family is involved in an 鈥楨xile Island鈥� fundraiser, and this time around they鈥檙e helping another family. They paired with a corporate team last year, but for 2016 decided they wanted to be on the other side of the equation, signing up to participate as fundraisers.

Modelled after the television show Survivor, 鈥楨xile Island鈥� is an annual fundraising event for Children鈥檚 Wish that challenges local businesses to gather their tribes and take part in an action-packed afternoon, all in a united effort to grant heartfelt wishes.

Exile Island BC takes place today (Nov. 4) at the Richmond Oval.

Teams are paired with a local 鈥榃ish Kid鈥� 鈥� an honourary member of their 鈥榯ribe鈥� 鈥� and members work together to raise the goal amount of $10,000 per team, with a target of $150,000 for the event.

During the event, teams compete in a series of mental, physical, creative, and strategic challenges, battling head-to-head to win the title of 鈥淏.C.鈥檚 Ultimate Survivors.鈥�

Anna said she鈥檚 most looking forward to 鈥渨aving the flag鈥� during today鈥檚 event.

She and her family have teamed up with the Goerzens, a Maple Ridge wish family led by former wish kid, Jesse, to grant the wish of Logan Mate, a 10-year-old 鈥渉eart kid鈥� diagnosed with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) at birth.

Logan is still deciding on his wish, but is leaning towards a Disney cruise.

鈥淗e [Logan] likes tanks and video games and he鈥檚 the same age as our Matthew,鈥� Lisa said.

Last year, the family was sponsored by a book club from Surrey and their team name was Bookin鈥� It For Anna.

鈥淲e鈥檙e so happy to be able to return as sponsors this year,鈥� Lisa said.

You can donate online for their cause at .

Excitement builds

After sharing their experience with family and friends, the Bickells immediately started putting a team together to pay it forward to another family benefiting from Children鈥檚 Wish.

But life became busy and their plans were put on hold.

鈥淲e just weren鈥檛 organized enough this year,鈥� Mark said.

During the late summer, however, Lisa spoke at a charity golf tournament on behalf of Children鈥檚 Wish, to let them know that the family would like to be involved in an 鈥楨xile Island鈥� event in some form, and to also let them know that there was another wish family wanting to put a team together.

鈥淎nd here we are,鈥� Mark said earlier this week. 鈥淎nna is a very shy child, while her brother, Matthew, is not so much. We attended the Exile Island launch party and we got to see a video from last year which got the kids pretty excited.  As we get closer to this Friday, the excitement builds.鈥�

Cancer scare

Anna has already been through a lot in her young life. She was diagnosed with posterior fossa ependymoma (a malignant brain tumour), a day after she turned five.

She underwent surgery at BC Children鈥檚 Hospital on Aug. 27, 2014 to remove the tumour.

Doctors worked quickly 鈥� the operation came two days after Anna鈥檚 diagnosis.

This was followed by 33 radiation sessions over seven weeks.

There was one significant red flag leading to Anna鈥檚 diagnosis. Over a six-week period, she had been vomiting 鈥� but only in the mornings.

A series of appointments eventually led to a referral from a pediatrician for a CAT scan at BC Children鈥檚, that revealed the tumour.

Exciting time

Reflecting on the Children鈥檚 Wish trip, Mark鈥檚 memories aren鈥檛 necessarily about the excursion itself.

鈥淭he trip to Hawaii was great and the kids had a fabulous time, but it is the whole experience that made it so special,鈥� he said. 鈥淏eing involved in the Exile Island fundraising event and also being partnered up with such a great group of ladies that raised the money for our Wish made it an experience rather than a gift.鈥�

鈥淭he impact for us was huge,鈥� Lisa said. 鈥淔or us, it was the one of the first times [since the diagnosis] that we started to see Anna be herself again. It made a huge difference to how our family was feeling; it gave us some positive memories. It was really a silver lining.鈥�

Mark remembers the excitement that the kids felt when the family received their package from the courier.

It included all of the trip details as well as some toys and stuffies for the kids.

While Anna was the one who was sick and was granted the wish, her big brother also went through some hard times.

鈥淭hey did such a great job including him in everything, so that it was a wish for him, too,鈥� Mark said. 鈥淥ur main goal was to have something where the whole family could enjoy the moment, try to put the past behind us and 鈥榬eset,鈥� if you will.  They made that happen and then some.鈥�

Lisa said there is a misconception that Children鈥檚 Wish only helps kids who have a terminal diagnosis.

鈥淭heir reach is so much bigger than that,鈥� she said. 鈥淔or us, it was something to look forward to at the end of this illness and treatment that we had to go through. It was our finish line, so to speak. That trip, for us, was a chance to turn the page and leave the bad behind us, and start a new chapter. Let some of that stuff go.鈥�

Anna doing 鈥榝antastic鈥�

Mark and Lisa get asked about Anna almost every day by friends, family and co-workers.

鈥淚n general, I think she is doing fantastic,鈥� Mark said.

That said, Mark noted that 鈥渨e will forever be worried about Anna鈥� as she will have to get an MRI done every six months to confirm that the tumour hasn鈥檛 returned.

鈥淓very parent will always worry about their child no matter what their age,鈥� Mark said. 鈥淲e will always just have one more worry.鈥�

Lisa said cancer 鈥渃ompletely changes everything.鈥�

鈥淲e were shocked more than anything else,鈥� she said, of the diagnosis. 鈥淥ur whole world just stopped.鈥�

Mark said he sometimes catches himself watching his little girl, and being amazed at the little things that girls her age are normally doing.

鈥淏ut for Anna I know that they are big leaps of progress,鈥� Mark said.

To wit: Anna learning to ride her bike and playing baseball this past summer, and even the social aspect of joining in with friends to play at recess.

鈥淲hen she was sick, she wasn鈥檛 able to go out and play with friends as she was too tired鈥�,鈥� Mark said.

Anna would spent three months either in bed, on the couch or in the car going back and forth to the hospital, and she missed the first half of kindergarten.

All of that, combined with the effects of Anna鈥檚 radiation treatment took her a long time to recover from.

鈥淪o when Mark sees Anna happy and bouncing around like a typical seven-year-old girl should, he said he 鈥渃an鈥檛 help but smile and enjoy the moment.鈥�

During that challenging period that followed Anna鈥檚 initial diagnosis and treatment, Mark and Lisa were fortunate to have the support of their family, friends and co-workers and neighbours.

鈥淭hey talk about having a 鈥榁illage鈥� of support,鈥� Mark said. 鈥淲e are definitely lucky enough to know that we have our village and we will forever be grateful.  We will never be able to pay back all of those who helped us, which is maybe another reason why we want to pay it forward through Children鈥檚 Wish.鈥�