Identical B.C. twins diagnosed with leukemia only months apart

When two-year-old Weston was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in April, his parents were warned there was a significant chance his identical twin bother would be too.

The doctors were right.

Just over a week ago, Bennett Openshaw, now three years old, was also diagnosed with the most common type of cancer in children.

“You just can’t quiet the noise in your head, you are just thinking about everything,” confessed their father Mike Openshaw, who said he and his wife Alisha were devastated when they learned the news.

When the CTV News interviewed the family on Sunday, little Weston was jumping happily on a trampoline with big brother Jackson, who is eight.

But Bennett, who has only begun his treatment, is clearly feeling the medication’s effects. He is being well looked after, but is a sick toddler who doesn’t know what to do to feel better.

“The first round with Weston, he also was presenting like Bennett, just like, low energy,” said their mom. “It’s just that the meds are knocking him off his feet.”

Weston, first diagnosed, began his treatment earlier and may have become accustomed.

Twins Weston and Bennett Openshaw were each diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia - the most common type of cancer in children - within a few months of each other.

A chart for both boys is mounted outside the kitchen cabinet, where their parents keep the cancer medication locked up.

Most of the chemo treatments are covered, but secondary medication for things like nausea and pain are not. Relatives have set up a GoFundMe page to help the family with the costs.

The prognosis is good. The boys will need several more months of treatment, but have an excellent chance of survival.