Hello friends
The fall is soon upon us and that means, of course, it?s time for the annual Light the Night Walk for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society!
Incredibly, we are getting ready to take part in our 21st walk where we will hopefully raise $7500 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
For those who have been receiving these emails for years, you know how important this event is to John and I. Not only because it gives us a chance to raise funds for an organization that means a lot to us, but because it gives us the opportunity to pause and reflect on our life and all we are grateful for.
A cancer diagnosis rocks your world in ways that are hard to describe. It?s not only that today or next week?s plans are off the rails, your thoughts of any future are suddenly unclear and uncertain.
The memories from that time are both crystal clear and murky. We can both remember specific moments like they happened yesterday while other weeks of time blend together. But what is clearest are the friends and family who gathered around to support us and the medical teams who were by our side with kindness and commitment helping us to know we were not alone in this fight.
Memories like the meeting with the doctor, John, and his sister had where they heard the wonderful news that there were multiple suitable bone marrow donors, however John was nowhere near remission so the transplant could not proceed.
The moment during another meeting when the doctor said they had obtained approval from Health Canada for an experimental treatment, a process that normally takes 6 months and which they managed to get done in 6 weeks. This treatment ended up working better than anyone had hoped, so much so they stopped the trial and made this treatment the standard for this type of leukemia.
When friends John knew from high school came from near and far to help him build up strength to get through the transplant by hiking the Chief with him in the weeks before he went into hospital for the transplant.
The group of friends, nurses and supporters who all held hands in a circle as the transplant took place.
The nurse support staff in the outpatient clinic that John went to every day for the 100 days of post-transplant monitoring and care.
The world we live in today feels more and more fraught and it may seem difficult to find gratitude. This is the gift the Light the Night walk gives us and maybe it can be a gift to you too.
For us, we remember how lucky we are and how we wouldn?t be here today without the research and innovation that is made possible by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and the funds raised in the Light the Night Walk.
We also can?t forget the incredible support our community provided to us back then, and every year since, so much so that we have been able to pass on to researchers over $100,000, and counting.
This year we are hoping to raise $7500. Your support goes to help other people on their journey, and ease the hard road they have to travel. Every donation will make a difference and means so much to us and the people you are helping; thank you.
And we hope many of you can join on us this 21st anniversary walk on October 25th - you would all be most welcome.
Much love
John and Christianne
