My Cancer Story
In August of 2019 I discovered a lump on the side of my neck. As a healthy, active 29 year old who diligently went to doctor check ups, the last thing I was expecting was to be diagnosed with cancer. I can remember the call, which I received at work, vividly. Dropping to my knees in a bathroom as I repeated in my head, I have cancer.
I was diagnosed with Stage 2 Nodular Sclerosis Hodgkins Lymphoma, an extremely common blood cancer but one that did not have any logical reason to choose me. Why me? I often wondered. I underwent 12 doses of ABVD chemotherapy, a cocktail of various drugs that wiped all cells, good and bad, out of my body. Not the type of cocktail I was expecting to have on my 30th birthday two months after being diagnosed. I lost my hair, I lost my appetite, I lost my muscles, and at times I lost hope. But, I gained friends in the blood cancer community, I gained perspective of what’s important to me, and I gained a delicate but ferocious appreciation for life. Now, I want to use that ferocious appreciation to make a difference.
The research that went into curing blood cancer from generations before me changed my experience with cancer and also saved my life. This year, as I approach being 2 years in remission from blood cancer, it’s time for me to give back. Each time I sit in the hospital waiting room, checking every 6 months if my cancer has returned, I am reminded looking at the community around me how important it is to fight for those patients and their families that are fighting cancer.
So, I’m fundraising to make a difference for those who have had, or will have, cancer touch their life in some way. I’m fundraising to build awareness and courage for someone who has a lump and is scared to get it checked. Lastly, I am fundraising to change the lives of those affected by blood cancer today, tomorrow and 30 years from now.
About Blood Cancers
Every 24 minutes, someone in Canada is diagnosed with a blood cancer. Blood cancers are the fifth most common form of cancer in Canada, affecting more than 155,000 Canadians.
With your support, research funded by initiatives like Man & Woman of the Year is making a difference. Blood cancers have had the biggest increases in cancer survival in the past three decades, and blood cancer research leads to treatment advances for other cancers and serious diseases.
Please Support My Campaign to Cure Blood Cancers
Please support my campaign by clicking on the “Donate” button now.
Your donation helps propel vital research, provide information to those who need it most, and offer personalized support for those living with blood cancers.
Thank you in advance for your support!