QUINN DUNBAR

A NEW LEARNING Something about our age that makes Christine and me sensitive to children becoming ill and dying before reaching maturity and fulfilling adult dreams. Quinn Dunbar died on New Year’s Day. He was twelve years of age. We knew Quinn when he was a small boy. The Dunbar family attends the church that I pastored seven years ago. When we heard the news, Christine and I were deeply saddened for his family. We also reflected on how Quinn has lived for these years.

 Quinn was six years old when on September 2002 he was diagnosed with a Medullablastoma Brain Tumor the size of a tennis ball. There was surgery and chemo and radiation. Then cancer was in his spine and there were more treatments. He suffered blindness in one eye, hearing loss in one ear, damaged thyroid and compromised growth. In 2005 when the Dunbars were believing that Quinn was cured they learned he had another tumor in his brain and one on his spine. He began another fifteen months of oral chemo. As 2007 dawned some growth of his brain tumor compelled the Dunbars to go to Detroit for radiosurgery yet by October of ’07 there were more tumors and another Detroit trip. He became unbalanced, used a walker and a wheelchair and he coped courageously. Dan Ferguson of the Surrey Leader wrote a neat account on January 7 and stated that Quinn never uttered a complaint.

  His mother’s faithful journal account that you can read yourself informs us that his parents Dave and Suzanne made sure that Quinn got to do as many neat things as he had strength to do including trips to Disneyland, Hawaii, Florida, Niagara Falls, Mexico, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. That’s Dave and Quinn in Anne of Green Gables look-alike wigs. He also flew in a hot air balloon and glider and zip-lined and bungee-jumped. I read in Suzanne's journal that being an avid hockey fan, Quinn met Todd Bertuzzi and Gordie Howe, Trevor Linden and Matt Cooke.

Dave and Suzanne and sisters Kayla and Marissa, and two Grandmas miss Quinn and his smile so much. A Celebration of His Life is planned for January 18 at 3 PM at the Bell Centre for the Performing Arts when all who were touched by this good boy can honour him. His story and his journey are carefully recounted at a website dedicated to him. You go to this page, register your email address and write Quinn Dunbar in the appropriate boxes on this www.caringbridge.org website.