‘Just the happiest kid’: Clinical trial brightens future for B.C. boy

‘Just the happiest kid’: Clinical trial brightens future for B.C. boy

Published 5:30 pm Tuesday, October 20, 2026

Seven-year-old Beckett Tessarolo is “just the happiest kid” – quick with one-liners and always sporting a huge smile, including for his first day of Grade 2 at Crescent Park Elementary when classes resumed in September.

Busy with extra-curriculars – as many kids his age are – such as hockey and baseball, it’s hard to believe he started an unimaginable battle for his life just three months shy of his first birthday.

“Enough time has passed that you’ll run into people that don’t know he was ever sick,” mom Melanie said in a recent interview.

“You would not know it looking at him.”

But while Beckett may not remember what led up to his diagnosis with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), nor the eight months he spent in hospital receiving treatment during the initial phase of a clinical trial, his mom’s recollection is crystal clear.

“Honestly, everything was scary,” Melanie said. “It’s all so overwhelming.”

The “very shocking” diagnosis came soon after Melanie took nine-month-old Becket to the doctor to investigate unusual clinginess and changes to his skin colour.

“He was a bit out of sorts and not acting normal,” the South Surrey mom recalled.

Bloodwork revealed the concerning diagnosis – deemed serious enough to prompt a late-night housecall.

“(Our doctor), at midnight he came knocking on our door … woke us up and told us to head in (to BC Children’s Hospital), they were expecting us.

“Then, Beckett and I didn’t come home … I think the first stay was 57 days.”

Beckett’s story began in February 2020, just two weeks before the COVID pandemic shut “everything” down. It was highlighted in September as part of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, to draw attention to the launch of a new clinical trial – OPTIMISE – being conducted across Canada, in collaboration with Australia. It’s “designed to match children, adolescents and young adults with high-risk, hard-to-treat cancers to targeted therapies based on the genetic makeup of their tumours,” a news release explained.

Donations supporting such research “are driving groundbreaking discoveries that are improving the lives of children and youth today while redefining the future of child health.”

Beckett, now 7, was among four B.C. youngsters to participate in the North America-wide ‘TINI’ clinical trial. His parents were given 24 hours to choose between enrolling him in it, or proceeding with the standard chemotherapy protocol for ALL.

The early-phase TINI study added two new drugs – bortezomib and vorinostat – to the already “very intensive” treatment regimen, Dr. Rebecca Deyell, clinical instructor in UBC’s Department of Pediatrics, explained.

“The hope was they would improve outcomes for these babies with the hardest-to-treat leukemia,” Deyell continued, noting infant leukemia cases are typically more aggressive – and harder to treat if they relapse down the road – than those diagnosed in children older than a year.

All four of the B.C. TINI patients had improved outcomes, she said, noting the two new drugs are now part of an upcoming TINI2 clinical trial, which will add a third drug to the regimen.

The decision to enrol in the trial wasn’t an easy one for Beckett’s family. Melanie recalls she and her husband Geoff ultimately “leaned into the advice of the doctors,” including that of one oncologist who, when asked which option she would choose for her own kids, replied that she “believed in science.”

“I remember the doctor saying … she believed that the study was being done in the hopes of having better outcomes and better treatments, and so that’s what she would do.

“So far … he has done well, so we’re grateful for that.”

Still, the initial journey was a rough one.

In addition to side effects that kept Beckett in hospital for those first eight months – with just occasional, short reprieves of a stay at home along the way – the pandemic meant only Melanie and Geoff could see Beckett, who couldn’t be left unattended. Melanie did most of the hospital vigil, while Geoff manned duties on the homefront, tending to their two older children, who were three and six at the time. (Beckett later gained another brother, who is now four years old.)

“It was quite the juggle,” said Melanie. “The not being able to see the kids and (Geoff) being the only one who could come visit me in hospital was kinda challenging.”

But while the road for Beckett and his family was difficult – as anticipated – Melanie said she has no regrets about choosing the clinical-trial path.

“Going into it, you never know, because it is a study, and it’s something that they’ve never done before,” she said. “There is the fear of the unknown, but also the hope that science is making things better.

”We were grateful for the chance to have access to that.”

Beckett was technically in remission within his first couple of months of treatment, she noted. He received treatment for a total of two years, initially through a central line, then via a port under his skin. He’ll remain under Deyell’s care – with appointments every six to 12 months – and a part of the trial until he’s 18 years old.

Beckett did “really well” in the trial, Deyell said.

She acknowledged the decision to enrol their child in a clinical trial is a tough one for any family, but noted studies like the TINI trial “are often comparing the best-known gold-standard treatment to the gold-standard treatment plus something new that we hope will be better.”

“We don’t know that it will be better … but ultimately, families do feel that including their child in these sorts of studies is worthwhile, both for their child and also for kids down the road.”

Reflecting on her family’s experience, Melanie said she’s a firm believer that everything happens for a reason.

It’s “made me appreciate the little things a lot more,” she said.

“Even being able to be home and be together for holidays. I know there’s families there that can’t go home.”

The hospital foundation, she added, was “so great,” checking in often to see if there was anything they could help with; from laundry to food.

The family was also inspired to fundraise to support research and help fill gaps in access to diagnosis and treatment, as well as client services.

“We try to do whatever we can,” Melanie said, naming Balding for Dollars and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s annual Light the Night as among events they’ve supported.

“We did it that first year because we saw that the people who were trying to help us could not help as much,” due to the pandemic prompting a shut-down of many fundraising events.

To date, the family’s efforts have translated into some $475,000, the bulk of which has benefited LLSC (including $50,000 raised so far for the society’s Light the Night 2026). They raised $75,000 for BC Children’s Hospital Foundation in 2021, and Melanie is currently working with the foundation to see what more can be done. She hopes to directly support Deyell’s work, and that Beckett’s story will “raise awareness and hopefully encourage people to donate where they can.”

“It does make a big difference.”