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Convoy set up for PG teen battling cancer

Prince George will be getting into its vehicles and honking its horns to put a smile on a young man’s face.

13-year-old James Torraville is battling cancer for the fourth time after being cancer-free for three-and-a-half years.

According to a GoFundMe set up for the family, abnormal bloodwork showed up during his checkup on October 27th.

An emergency bone marrow biopsy revealed leukemia cells, with over 70% of his bone marrow now infected.

“I don’t even know this little guy, I have no clue who he is, but he has sparked my family’s interest and he’s broken our hearts,” said Rose Verkaik, who is helping to organize the convoy that will drive by James’ house.

“A friend of mine is a good friend of the little boy’s mom, and she had come over here the other night and told us about this little boy and that he was dying. She was telling us the story of how he’s got stage four cancer, he’ll be going home for palliative care.”

Verkaik said she read over the GoFundMe page and saw one detail, which led to an idea.

“I said to my husband, he likes trucks and he likes snowmobiles, and my husband, working with the trucking industry, he says ‘let’s get a convoy and go and honk our horns over at his house,'” she said.

“That’s what we’re trying to do, to give this little guy one more smile.”

Verkaik’s husband and daughter are organizing the convoy, which will start at noon on Saturday at the CN Centre.

“The momma’s going to bring the little guy outside, and he’s going to see these trucks and everybody go by, I guess he’s just tickled pink about it.”

The GoFundMe has just surpassed its $15,000 goal.

Something going on in the Prince George area you think people should know about?
Send us a news tip by emailing [email protected].

Darin Bain
Darin Bain
Darin is a news reporter for Vista Radio's Prince George stations. His career started in the Cariboo in 2020, working as a News Reporter in both 100 Mile House and Williams Lake before making the move to Prince George in late 2021.

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