Between 2018 and 2021, my family went through a period that changed everything. Much of that time was spent navigating diagnoses, treatment decisions, and the realities of serious illness.

In 2018, my dad was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of prostate cancer linked to a BRCA mutation. It was our first experience navigating a complex and uncertain treatment landscape, and it showed us how quickly you can be faced with difficult decisions without clear or accessible options.

Two years later, in 2020, my mom, a colon cancer survivor, was diagnosed with high-risk acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and underwent a stem cell transplant. Even after everything we had already experienced, nothing prepares you for the intensity of blood cancer treatment. I saw how much she went through, and how hard it was for our family to go through it alongside her.

What stayed with me most from that time was how overwhelming it all felt. We were trying to understand complex information, make the right decisions, and be there for her all at once. It made clear how important it is not only to have access to research and treatment options, but to have the right support to understand them and navigate those decisions.

Blood cancer research has driven some of the most important breakthroughs in cancer treatment more broadly, from chemotherapy to targeted therapies and immunotherapy. Progress in this space doesn’t just impact blood cancers, it shapes what’s possible across many cancers.

That impact is also personal to me as a BRCA gene carrier. I’ve had to make decisions about my own health, and it reinforced what I witnessed throughout my parents’ experiences: having options matters, but understanding them and knowing how to move forward is just as important.

This year, my sister, Jessica Passarelli, was nominated as a Visionary of the Year through The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada (LLSC), and I’m part of her team.

Over the next 10 weeks, we’ll be fundraising to support blood cancer research, patient services, and advocacy. It’s a cause that feels deeply personal to our family, and one we’re proud to stand behind.

If you’re open to supporting or sharing, it would mean a lot.