Friday March 3, 2023 | SOOKE, BC
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
A playground in the Sunriver neighbourhood of Sooke will soon be named in honour of Hannah Day, a child who brought the community together – rallying in her fight against cancer – and inspiring thousands of people to register as stem cell donors.
Starting at 1 pm, a community event will be held at the 2368 Sunriver Way location to unveil the Hannah Day Playground park sign and a new swing.
Sooke Mayor Maja Tait will deliver some remarks, along with Hannah’s mom Brooke Ervin.
For the community there will be a social opportunity including complimentary “build a bear”. Hot dogs and refreshments served by the Sooke Lions.
Hannah was a Sunriver resident most of her life. In true “Hannah fashion”, the Hannah Day Playground will continue to bring people together.
Hannah’s journey with cancer:
Hannah Day has lost her battle with cancer in May 2019. The nine-year-old Sooke girl, who had touched many hearts, was taken off life-support at BC Children’s Hospital.
“Today, most will be celebrating Mother’s Day while I’m mourning the death of a child,” Hannah’s mother Brooke Ervin posted on Facebook on that Sunday May 12.
Hannah underwent seven years of intense treatment. In 2012, at age three, she was originally diagnosed with a rare cancer that attacks muscle tissue. Sixteen months later, she was free of the original cancer. However in December 2013, she was diagnosed with leukemia.
Hannah’s doctors and her family turned to the community to try and find a stem cell donor. Thousands lined up at stem cell swab drives hoping to be the rare match that would be able to help the little girl.
In March 2014, Hannah received stem cells from her mother, although her mother was only half a match. Hannah survived, but a year later was diagnosed again with leukemia in May 2015.
In March, after complaining of excruciating headaches, Hannah was taken to Victoria General Hospital, then airlifted to BC Children’s Hospital where she was found to have tumours in her brain.
“Every obstacle she fought so hard. Against odds she was still here. But this time they gave her too much chemotherapy. It wiped her immune system further than they ever expected, allowing a bacterial infection to take over. Hannah didn’t stand a chance.”
The infection sent Hannah into septic shock and Ervin and Hannah’s father, Robert Day, made the difficult decision to say goodbye.
At the time, Brooke Ervin thanked everyone for their love and support over the years.
In 2019, Hannah left behind two sisters –at the time Hailey was 7 years old and sister Harper was age one.
