Amy was diagnosed with Stage 2 Ovarian cancer at just 28 years old and at 38 weeks pregnant with her second child. Amy’s daughter was born healthy, via C-section and three weeks later her chemo treatments started. The procedure to remove the tumor was not offered in Saskatchewan, and Amy was faced with an unplanned trip to Toronto for the operation. Funding received from the Pink Wig Foundation allowed Amy to pay for bills while her husband was away working and continue to raise her children while she recovered. Today, Amy’s cancer is in remission and she is enjoying leading an active, healthy life with her family.

Before being diagnosis with cancer, Amy’s life was very exciting. In May of 2016, she finished her Doctorate of Pharmacy, specializing in cancer care (University of Toronto). In July, she purchased her first home. In September, she married her husband, Marc. Then – in November, she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. That diagnosis changed the trajectory of her life. Amy underwent surgery to remove an ovarian tumor the size of a football. Following surgery, she received treatment with chemotherapy, and then faced the long recovery back to health. On St. Patrick’s Day in 2019, Amy and her husband welcomed their lucky little boy, Maximilian. With just one remaining ovary, Amy continues to joke that “you really can put all your eggs in one basket.”

Andrea’s cancer began with increasing pain in her hips and ribs which were multiple fractures… Her length of recovery was difficult on her mind, body, heart, career and relationships. As a single mother with no child support and increased housing costs the financial toxicities were also harmful.

At the age of 30, Angelena, enjoyed her work as an RN…In early 2018, she found out that she was pregnant again. At the end of March 2018, she had some routine bloodwork done that showed abnormal results…later diagnosed with AML. With the baby only 14 weeks old when she started chemotherapy treatment, there were many worries and fears. After 3 cycles together, and at 32 weeks, a healthy baby girl was born.

Before her diagnosis Brandy had no experience with cancer – only what she had seen on movies and social media…Brandy recalls first being sent for an ultrasound, then mammogram and then a second lump was found. After a biopsy confirmed it was cancer her whole treatment plan came together and was started: first chemotherapy, then a bilateral mastectomy with reconstruction, then once she healed – radiation.

“You have cancer”! The three scariest words Carrie unexpectedly heard one beautiful Saturday after her first mammogram…A month after her surgery Carrie met with her oncologist and, again, was told news she did not expect. She didn’t just have one tumor, but seven tumors plus there was cancer in 2 out of the 4 lymph nodes they removed.

It all started with Darcey being tired all the time as well as developing different health problems…Darcey followed up with my family doctor after her emergency room visit and she was sent to a surgeon. On April 20, 2020 Darcey had surgery on her neck to remove a lymph node and on May 1, 2020 she was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Darcey started chemotherapy on May 22, 2020 and have had 8 treatments.

Darla is a 44 year old single mom who was diagnosed with stage two, triple negative breast cancer in April of 2017. Darla underwent chemotherapy and had 8 cycles of chemo and then surgery to follow. Everyone who knows Darla knows that she is the most kindhearted, sweet, and generous person. Her smile lights up a room and her pure strength as a single hearing-impaired mother is inspiring. Her cancer diagnosis has made her run the gauntlet over the past few months but she has held her head high, and reassured everyone that she will beat this. She tells everyone that a positive attitude makes all the difference. Darla will be off work for at least 8 months while she battles this awful disease, and being a single mom on a limited income, she had the additional stress of finances. Darla was ecstatic when The Pink Wig Foundation chose her as their recipient. With funding from the Pink Wig Foundation she no longer needs to stress over her finances and can now concentrate on her treatment. Darla is immensely grateful for the generosity of this foundation and its donors.

Denae Lawrence, The Pink Wig Foundation’s second full recipient, was shocked to find that what she thought was a rotator cuff injury was revealed by an ultrasound to be a bone malignancy on her upper arm. She underwent 7 cycles of chemotherapy and a surgical resection of the growth on her arm. Denae and her family are immensely grateful for the Pink Wig Foundation’s support for the relief of additional financial stress during treatments, as she was without regular income during that period. Denae told us that after her battle with cancer she appreciated the little things in life a lot more, and lived in the moment, never putting off an opportunity (like a big trip with her husband). We were saddened to hear of Denae’s passing in February of 2018, and send the best wishes to her family and friends. Denae never missed a Pink Wig Gala following her sponsorship and we are immensely grateful to her and her family for their support over the years.

Ishrat was diagnosed with breast cancer in March of 2019. When she first heard the news from the doctor, she was very shocked…Throughout both surgeries and recoveries her friends were by her side, stayed positive and reminded her that everything is going to be just fine! Now almost a year later she is cancer free!

Jamie was diagnosed with Triple Negative Invasive Breast Cancer at the age of 28. She was not able to continue working to the same capacity she had been because her chemotherapy treatments left her with a very low immune system. Jamie says her diagnosis didn’t change her life too much, but it did change the way she thinks about things, her relationship with her husband and friends and her outlook on life. “I make the time to do the things I want to. My relationships with my husband and friends have become stronger and I make more time to do the things I love. I’ve always enjoyed cooking and baking, and have always wanted to have my own restaurant. I just recently began trying to realize that dream with a friend as we are trying to start our own catering business that will hopefully grow into a food truck and ultimately a restaurant. I now truly believe you should never put on hold the thing things you want to do, eat the food you want to eat, say the things you want to say and live your life in the here and now”

In Jenn’s own words: I was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 31. I found a lump myself and immediately took action to find out what was wrong. I considered myself to be an active young person and had no history of Cancer in my family. I received an ultrasound, and a biopsy right away and was diagnosed with breast cancer. I saw a surgeon right after that and made the decision to receive a lumpectomy and then continued with fertility treatments chemo and radiation. Before having Cancer I was very active and kept busy by playing sports, snowboarding and wakeboarding. I continued to be very active through chemo, radiation and now in recovery. I was able to snowboard often and play baseball during my treatments and found it a way to take time for myself during the stressful times of being at the hospital. I also was very passionate about my job in community investment and sponsorship. I worked with communities and I was ignited by creating lasting experiences for kids and their family. Because of my recovery I am still not back to work but I am passionate about helping people and want to continue doing that through my experience of having Cancer. Although this was a very hard time in my life I discovered the kindness and love through friends, family and strangers. Through my experience I was able to meet new friends and reconnect with old ones. Foundations like the Pink Wig Foundation was there to help me through some very hard times and I am so thankful to have had them in my life during this time. I went through many difficult times because of my Cancer diagnosis but I am looking forward to the future and seeing what that brings for me.

Since being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009, Joanne braved radiation treatment as well alternative treatments in Germany after a recurrence in 2013. From that point on, she continued to undergo maintenance chemotherapy, and dealt with other challenges including infection, an allergic reaction to chemo, and a leg injury resulting from a fall. Joanne managed to learn to walk again, and her vibrant spirit and relentless inspired those around her. In 2016, there was a resurgence of her cancer, and The Pink Foundation was able to help fund her treatment and ease the stress on her family during this trying time. We are sad to report that in 2016, despite a heroic fight to survive, Joanne passed away from cancer. The foundation is proud to have supported this wonderful woman, and wish her family all the best going forward. We will miss Joanne dearly and hope that she has inspired many women in their own battles.

Kimber-Leigh’s battle with cancer started when she was diagnosed with a very rare form of cancer that started with a tumor in her foot. She was treated and the tumor removed. Unfortunately the cancer returned and an amputation of her foot was done, after which she was declared cancer free. A short time later Kimber-Leigh received the news that the battle was on again, with her 3rd cancer diagnosis in 5 years. At this time, The Pink Wig Foundation was able to help fund Kimber-Leigh. The oral chemo taken at this phase had been effective in shrinking the tumors and she had been enjoying the convenience of being able to take it at home and spend more time with her partner, Tyler. Unfortunately, Cancer can be relentless and unpredictable and things took a turn for the worse. Kimber-leigh lost her battle with cancer shortly after she was able to attend the Pink Wig Gala in 2016. She is dearly missed by her family in Regina and everyone at The Pink Wig Foundation. Her family continues to fundraise in Regina in her honour, and often express their gratitude for the generosity of Pink Wig donors as it greatly helped ease the stress of her battle. We’ll miss you Kim!

Kim had recently bought a new home and was excited to begin a new phase of her life when she noticed a spot on her tongue that turned out to be malignant. She went through extensive surgeries and treatments, including a surgery to remove a substantial part of her tongue, which was then rebuilt using a graft from her forearm. She had a scare with a re-occurrence that led her to yet another surgery in 2016. Kim credits Pink Wig for allowing her to focus on her recovery, rather than push herself to go back to work before her body was ready. She remains vigilant on her road to recovery by attending 3-4 physiotherapy appointments per week. Kim is also a part patient advocacy groups and is a patient mentor to others who have received similar diagnoses.

Louise went for a routine mammogram…That’s when they found 2 masses on her left breast and was diagnosed with breast cancer a few days later. She then had surgery to remove the cancerous tumor, started chemotherapy in June, and then radiation October.

Michelle Lee is The Pink Wig Foundation’s 3rd recipient. She is a Registered Psychiatric Nurse for Correction Services Canada. Michelle’s light and joyful personality is one of the first things anyone notices about her. Even through the debilitating diagnosis of liver cancer, Michelle continues to focus on the things that make her feel positive: her two girls, and her friends and family who care about her. Michelle describes her life before her diagnosis as just a normal life. She and her girls would travel often to California, which is something she hopes to be able to do again once she gets well. When asked what words of advice she would give to others struggling through a cancer diagnosis, Michelle said, “Be positive and remain positive”; a true testament to her uplifting and inspiring personality.

Being diagnosed with breast cancer when my son was just 9 months old and still breastfeeding was a complete shock…I went from a young mom and new business owner to a cancer patient overnight and the next 10 months were some of the hardest times I have ever faced. Undergoing treatments in the era of COVID-19 has brought many additional challenges to the cancer fight…my son always brought a ray of sunshine into the darkness.

Pam’s life changed in 2015. She had a great job, was recently married, and enjoyed relaxing at home with her husband, dog, and a good movie. Unfortunately, later that year Pam was diagnosed with stage 2b cervical cancer that had spread to her lymphatic system increasing her chances of early mortality. She was told that she had a 60% chance of surviving in the state she was in. Her first question was whether or not she’d ever be able to have children, given that she would be subjected to heavy chemotherapy in her pelvic region. Thankfully, her Pink Wig sponsorship has given her the ability to undergo IVF and help with costs associated with a surrogate mother, as she has lost the function of her ovaries and uterus from treatment.

After hearing from her family doctor, “I don’t think it’s cancer, it’s soft like nose not hard like forehead”, the hardest question Sherise ever answered was from the surgeon…But not just one surgery on the breast with cancer, but two because the tumor grew while waiting for surgery and there was cancer in two out of four lymph nodes.

At the age of 30, Stacy found a lump while showering…it took almost a year to be diagnosed with cancer…Stacy entered a whirlwind of appointments including surgeries, fertility preservation, cancer treatments and more surgeries.

From the beginning of my cancer journey I have been determined to find the light and the humour in everything that is happening to me…I decided to turn my backyard into my own personal staycation oasis…When I was in my backyard I was at peace, I felt I truly had exactly what I needed to heal during my cancer journey.

Susan felt like she was finally getting her life established…In Oct of 2018 she was diagnosed with triple negative invasive mammary carcinoma…She underwent a lumpectomy, chemotherapy, a bilateral mastectomy and salpingo-oophorectomy due to a hereditary genetic mutation. She still struggles with losing everything that made her feel feminine.

Tina was diagnosed in August 2015 with Stage 4 HER2+,estrogen+ and progesterone+ breast cancer. She only found her breast cancer as she was booked to have a breast reduction, and has since undergone 8 months of chemotherapy, and continues to attend classes at Wellspring Niagara that help with her anxiety and mental health. Tina works in the hospital as a laboratory technician and has been off work since her diagnosis. She is eternally thankful to The Pink Wig Foundation and its donors in helping her through this trying time, and is hoping raise cancer awareness and offer support in her hometown.

Val is currently employed as a Care Aid at St Paul’s hospital…In 2017, Val’s wife was diagnosed with stage 2 lung cancer…Val found a breast lump. It was confirmed as breast cancer…Both Val and her wife were in chemo together…Val’s wife was accepted into an immunotherapy drug trial…Needless to say finances were getting pretty tight. Val and her wife are currently both NED (no evidence of disease).