By Jessica Lepp

One day after her birthday a Kamloops girl was given only days to live

Mar 9, 2016 | 4:00 PM

KAMLOOPS — A young Kamloops girl is saying her final goodbyes to loved ones after recently relapsing from a rare form of cancer called Burkitts Leukemia .

Sam Donovan celebrated her sixth birthday last Thursday. One day later she and her family were devastated to learn Sam had relapsed and would be lucky to live another week.

Family friend Trish D’ondt says, “the cancer has taken over at this time it’s 92% of her bone marrow. The family was basically told there is nothing left to do. They moved her to Canuck Place Hospice Friday night.”

SOUND OFF

SOUND OFF: KSACC disappointed at Kamloops MLAs' vote to advance human rights code bill beyond first reading

35m ago

TWO & OUT

PETERS: U.S. Olympic men's hockey team celebration was extremely political - whether players recognize it or not

4h ago

Looped in

LOOPED IN WITH NIKKI OMEN: February 26, 2026

Feb 27, 2026

Sam was first diagnosed in July 2014 and has relapsed once before.

Sam’s mother Allison and father Tyler describe their daughter as a resilient girl with a passion for life.

D’ondt says, “last Friday they gave her a week, but Ally said last night that today is day 5. She had blood tests done yesterday and shocked everyone with her numbers because they expected them to be quite low. I true Sam style, she’s still fighting.

A number of fundraisers are being held to assist the family financially.

Details can be found on Sam’s Facebook page.