The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

Thursday, Septem ber 17, 2015 - The IFP - H alton H ills - w w w .theifp.ca Page 9 YOUR SMILE AWAITS Dr. Stephen Diana DDS dianadental.ca905.873.6485 Alexander Trenton DD GeORGetOWndentUReclinic.ca905.877.2359 Let our professional team offer you the very latest in implant denture technology. Let our kind, caring staff, exceed all your expectations. "Diana Dental" for diagnostic and implant placement, and "The Georgetown Denture Clinic" for the fitting and fabrication of your implant dentures. Together, creating the comfort you deserve. tHe clOSeSt tHinG tO YOUR OWn natURal teetH - MaYBe BetteR! CALL US TODAY TO BOOK yOur cOmplimenTary cOnsulTaTiOn. yOu will Be surprised jusT hOw affOrdaBle sTaBle denTures can Be! IMPLANT SECURED DENTURES IMPLANT SECURED DENTURES NEWS They're the words no parent ever wants to hear a doctor say: your child has cancer. As little Austin Hunak's parents reeled from the recent diagnosis of leukemia in their six- year-old son, the Acton boy showed remarkable strength beyond his years. "He looked at his mother and said, 'Don't worry mom, I'm going to kick cancer right in the face," recounted Austin's grandfather, George Hunak. While the Grade 1 student is busy fighting his battle at the Hospital for Sick Children in To- ronto, Hunak is back in Acton taking action of his own. The local man recently launched a fundraiser to help offset Austin's medical bills and the "hid- den" costs that a family incurs when supporting a loved one with cancer, such as travel expenses, take-out food, etc. "In the first three weeks we spent well over $2,000 on hidden costs," he said. "It's a huge bur- den on families." Hunak created a fundraiser page on Go- FundMe-- a crowdfunding website-- and was amazed at how quickly the donations began pouring in, with $14,000 being contributed with- in the first two weeks. Austin's journey began in the middle of Au- gust when he woke up one night with his mouth full of blood. Terrified, his parents rushed him to Milton District Hospital, where he was quickly transferred to Sick Kids. By the time all was said and done, Hunak said Austin had lost 80 per cent of his blood. Testing at Sick Kids quickly revealed Austin's diagnosis of leukemia. "It was a huge shock to everyone. It threw us into a whole different world," said Hunak. "This is a nightmare I wouldn't wish on anyone." Austin remains at Sick Kids, where he has been undergoing chemotherapy and treatment for a stomach infection, which has now cleared. Hunak reported that Austin's latest check up re- vealed good news. "All his blood counts are up. The doctors say his cells and body are recovering perfectly," he said. "We are heading in the right direction." His mother, Ashley Kendrick, has been stay- ing at Sick Kids while father Dennis Hunak has been travelling between the hospital in Toronto and his job in Acton. In addition to the GoFundMe campaign, Hunak is planning a fundraiser at the Acton Le- gion on Saturday, Oct. 17. The event will kick off at 8 p.m. and include live music from the Larry Melton Band, games and a wide variety of prizes. Tickets cost $15 and are available to purchase at Jonesy's Sports Hub and Grub (372 Queen St., Acton) or by contacting Hunak at 905-702-4183. Those who can't make it to event but still want to contribute can purchase a support ticket for $10. Beyond the monetary donations, Hunak is overwhelmed by the moral support he has re- ceived from the community. "Friends, family and even strangers have been unbelievable with support and prayers," he said. "You just can't thank people enough when something like this happens." Remaining funds that aren't needed by the family will be donated to Sick Kids, Ronald Mc- Donald House and the Canadian Cancer Society. Hunak's fundraiser page can be found at http://www.gofundme.com/zj257ses. GoFundMe campaigns across the province have raised over $12.5 million for more than 50,000 campaigns to date. Acton boy, 6, facing leukemia fight with the help of family and the community By Melanie Hennessey Special to The IFP Six-year-old Aus- tin Hunak of Acton is facing a battle with leukemia at the Toronto Hospital for Sick Children. But his grandfather, George Hunak, has started a crowdfunding page to help ease the family's ease the additional expenses. Submitted photo