A West Quebec family is reeling after a second cancer diagnosis among their kids.

Little Sophia now has the same aggressive cancer her older brother was diagnosed with.

This Easter weekend,they are trying to focus on family, love and hope.

Having one child with cancer is devastating. 

But two?  It is life-changing for the Randell family; a rare hereditary form of cancer found early in the little Sophia because of her big brother Jacob.

There are some exciting firsts with your kids, like that first time they cycle on their own.

“Oh wow, she's riding her bike for the first time by herself,” says Liliane Hajjar, as she watches 4-year-old Sophia bike down the roadway.

There are some terrifying firsts, too; that first cancer diagnosis for Jacob, when he was just 5 years old.

“It was the size of a golf ball,” says 13-year-old Jacob Randall, “Just imagine a size of golf ball in my brain.”

Jacob underwent surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, a transplant. He is now 13 and in remission.

“We almost lost him,” says Liliane, “He was dying. But we found our happy place and then November, 2016, our-four-year old Sophia got diagnosed with same cancer that Jacob had.”

“One child diagnosed with cancer is devastating,” she says, “but two is life-changing.”

After Jacob's diagnosis, the entire family underwent genetic testing.

Their father Jason had a genetic mutation that caused benign tumors in his body.  It's a rare tumor syndrome calledhereditary Schwannomatosis, which he had been diagnosed with years earlier.

“Three weeks before our wedding,” recalls Liliane, “Jason couldn’t walk one day.  They discovered a tumor the size of a grapefruit behind his calf.”

In the Randall family, geneticists at CHEO’s Hereditary Cancer Clinic discovered it was an inherited condition caused by a mutation in the SMARCB1 gene, which can also lead to highly aggressive malignant tumors in infancy.

Geneticist Dr. Eva Tomiak had younger brother Liam, who is now 7, tested. His results were negative but Sophia, who had been monitored since birth through MRI’s and ultrasounds, tested positive for the gene mutation.  There were no signs of any disease or tumors, until late last year, when a tumor was discovered on the left side of her brain in the exact same location as Jacob’s. 

“I'm like, why her, why not me again?” says Jacob, “Because if it was me again, I’d be able to do it because I’ve already been through it all.”

“Although it’s very difficult when we see a child like Sophia be diagnosed with a cancer like this,” says Dr. Eva Tomiak, “we hope we've made a difference in finding it at an earlier point in time.”

All three siblings now share an unusual bond, a deep appreciation for each other.

“I have a new will to live,” says Jacob, “because if I die, I wouldn't be able to see Liam grow up and Sophia.”

The family shares a deep appreciation for life and for all the good things still to come.

“We know we are going to find our happy place again,” says Liliane, “and we're going to be okay. I know it; I just feel it.”

Sophia has also had a transplant and is currently undergoing chemotherapy. 

She's not quite in remission yet but they are hopeful that catching it early has given her the best possible chance.