12-year-old Wynn has a long history with SickKids and as she bravely battles osteosarcoma, she says she “wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”

Wynn’s parents, Lexie and Evan, learned that baby Wynn would have a cleft lip before she was born. Right away, SickKids teams stepped in to help her parents prepare for Wynn’s arrival and plan for the next steps.

She has undergone two major surgeries for her cleft lip at SickKids – one in her early years, to repair her lip, and one at age 10, to strengthen her upper jaw through an alveolar bone graft.

While she has been no stranger to the hospital environment and medical procedures, Wynn and her family could have never prepared for the challenges that still lay ahead.

Last October, it seemed like Wynn had sustained a sports injury, something that was not out of the ordinary for an active athlete who loved playing rugby. Unfortunately, it turned out to be something far more serious…

After further testing, Wynn was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a type of bone cancer. 

She had a tumour wrapped around the left side of her pelvis. 

Wynn immediately started an intense chemotherapy protocol to prepare her for a hemipelvectomy – a complex surgery that involves removing part of the pelvis. Wynn’s medical team explained that she would need the surgery to be cancer-free.

Inspired by her major love of Harry Potter, Wynn and her family nicknamed her tumour “Umbridge”… something nasty that they could not wait to get rid of. At the end of January 2025, Wynn underwent a 35-hour surgery over two days to remove her tumour and give her the best possible chance at mobility in the future.

Thankfully, the pathology report from her surgery showed that 50% of the tumour was already dead and that the surrounding tissue was clear of cancer cells. 

Recovery from such an invasive and life-changing surgical procedure is naturally an extended and complex process. Wynn has worked incredibly hard to regain mobility post-surgery, but it hasn’t been easy. She is still inpatient at SickKids and continues to face setbacks. 

But Wynn remains so positive, telling us “When you’ve been here as long as I have, the staff really try to make you happy. Even though I can’t go home yet, I’m thankful to be somewhere the people care so much.”

She even celebrated her 12th birthday in hospital in March. Wynn has recently completed her chemo treatments and celebrated by 'ringing the bell'. She and her team are now focused on the ongoing healing from her many surgeries. While it’s unclear when she will be able to finally go home, there have been encouraging signs.

Her supporters, from family, to friends to those on her care team, continue to rally behind her and proclaim their new slogan: “In it to Wynn it!”

This August, we’re going to put in a Wynn-ing effort for this brave girl as we ride to fight kids’ cancer!