INUVIK - Dustin Rogers, 15, has at least one more thing to be thankful for since beating cancer seven months ago: a camping trailer.

Dustin Rogers poses beside his new trailer, compliments of the Children's Wish Foundation of Canada. - Andrew Rankin/NNSL photo

The soft-spoken teenager received his $13,000 wish right off a barge shipment on Sept. 22, thanks to the actions of Children's Wish Foundation of Canada, a network of non-profit groups that grant children diagnosed with a life threatening illness a gift of their choice.

Rogers spent a year battling osteosarcoma, an aggressive bone cancer. He returned to school last April, having beaten the disease. He said he's ecstatic about the gift and grateful for the work that went into getting it here.

"I love it," said Rogers. "It's just something I've always wanted and now I have it. I'm really happy."

Making Rogers' dream a reality involved the work of many, starting with Staff Sgt. Ken Morrison of the Yellowknife RCMP.

Last summer, his annual fundraising golf tournament for the children's wish fund raised $43,000; the most ever.

After finding out about Rogers' wish through the Alberta and NWT chapter in Calgary, Morrison set the wheels in motion to make it a reality.

Yellowknife's Courtesy Chrysler sold the winterized trailer at a discounted rate and National Transportation Company Limited (NTCL) transported the vehicle for free from Hay River after it was delivered there by a member of the Yellowknife RCMP.

"What's great about this is that Ken and the Yellowknife RCMP raised so much money for the cause, but they also had a very hands-on role of making Dustin's wish come true," said Chantal Macleod, spokeswoman for the Alberta and NWT chapter.

An independent spirit, Rogers said the idea of having a trailer of his very own appealed to him because it offers a place to escape whenever he feels like it. That and the fact it's a pretty plushy item, complete with a few beds and plenty of furniture on which to lounge with his buddies.

He hasn't planned any long road trips yet, being satisfied to frequent Gwich'in Park as often as possible in the summer months or just hang out with his buddies in the front yard.

Since returning to school in April, Rogers has done well. He's put weight back on, has gotten a job and will soon be playing soccer. He says doctors told him he won't be able to play his favourite sport, hockey, because of his fragile shoulder, which he injured badly while battling cancer.

But he's not about to dwell too much on that, especially since his regular check-ups in Edmonton every three months, produce a clean bill of health.

"It feels good," he said. "Anything's better than getting treatment."

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