Relay For Life

My 4 year old son Sammy will be walking in this year’s Canadian Cancer Society Relay for Life. He would like to raise money for research to help them save lives.

 My son is walking in the relay because he is healthy, which is something I took for granted until I met Stephanie.

 Let me tell you about this woman who is fighting daily to stay alive.

 I met Stephanie 3 years ago, when she was 29 years old and had just starting a business with her sisters by opening an adorable little dance school. I fell in love with this school headed by two young dancers and I registered with my son for several courses. The first year of school was a great success and the year-end show was a hit thanks to Stephanie who worked 40 hours a week while raising two adorable little kids.

 But everything changed in the past year. From one day to the next, what was a dream would suddenly become a nightmare for this family. Stephanie’s right side became paralyzed and she learned that she is suffering from a brain tumor that threatens her life every day.

 Despite the doses of chemotherapy, the endless appointments with her oncologist and rehabilitation physiotherapy she never gave up. She must re-learn to live with a wheelchair and partial paralysis but she has never stopped fighting her fatigue for her children. Every night she uses what’s left of her energy to spend time playing with her kids... an appearance of normalcy in Stephanie’s crazy new reality.

 For her and hundreds of other people who believe in life and who struggle daily for a bare minimum of health, be generous. Thanks to our financial support we may be one day beat cancer for good.

A special thanks to Marie-Ève and Geneviève Boudreau for their help with the text and photos.