Montréal: Andy & friends -for Milan & pregnant women with cancer - CIBC Run for the Cure

Montréal

Andy & friends run in honour of Milan & all pregnant women with Cancer
Andy & friends run in honour of Milan & all pregnant women with Cancer

Andy & friends -for Milan & pregnant women with cancer

Hi I'm Andy and this is my story...
I am a new mommy, I am 36 years old. I am a daughter and a fiancé. I am a friend, a mother, with no breast cancer history in my family however I have breast cancer. I am a warrior and also a woman just like you, but most of all I am full of life to give.

It’s been a year that I am battling breast cancer. I was diagnosed not long after finding out I was pregnant with our first baby. You think this will never happen to you, but unfortunately cancer does not discriminate. Being pregnant with cancer is very rare, I was the only case in my hospital in the past 15 years. To say I was scared is an understatement. 



The duality of creating a life while trying to fight for my life and the life of my baby was incredibly challenging. I underwent 7 rounds of chemo while pregnant, always fearful for my baby’s well-being more than anything. Unfortunately, my tumor didn’t respond to chemo, it actually grew larger than its original size. Breast cancer in young people tends to be very aggressive and mine was not the exception. I was 33 weeks pregnant when my medical team decided I’d have to be induced early to be able to go straight into emergency surgery and have a partial masectomy to remove the tumor. 
My son was born at 33 weeks and 1 day. He was tiny but mighty and full of magic. He spent 2.5 weeks at the NICU where every single day he surprised us all with an incredible resilience, bravery and courage. 

After the breast surgery they discovered that the cancer had spread to my lymph nodes, which is bad news. I then was scheduled for an axilary dissection to take out the chain of lymph nodes on the breast area to biopsy them all for cancer. There was no more lymph involvement thank God. 

This was followed by 6 weeks of daily radiation that left me beyond exhausted while caring for a baby at home as well as 2nd degree burns on the breast area. I feel so overwhelmed with exhaustion at times, I cry at times because I feel like I am drowning with nowhere to go, because it terrifies me to think it can come back, and yet I know I could not stop because my baby depends on me and I don't want him to sense me struggle. With the help of my family, I’m making it through. Now, I’ll be on hormone therapy for the next 5 years of my life, having monthly injections that are unbelievably painful and leave me knocked out in bed for days at a time. I’m in induced menopause already, which comes with its challenges. I’ll be starting another therapy for 2 years as well. The physical, mental and emotional battle that is cancer is so overwhelming at times. I am often fearful of not being here to see my son grow, so I’ll do all I can to make sure I’m staying here to live a wholesome and happy life with my family. This is my story but there’s tons of other women like me out there fighting with all they’ve got.

I believe this happened for me and not to me. I believe it’s our biggest obstacles that carry the biggest lessons. I chose to see the rainbow at the end of the rainfall and to choose to be a better version of me through this. I want to help other women in similar situations because I understand how difficult it is to live with cancer while raising a tiny human that fully depends on you. The emotional pain is the hardest, and I want to help ease some of the pain but I need your help. If our paths ever crossed, it would mean the world to me to have your support on this cause. Cancer is not only a disease that touches you, it touches your loved ones as well, and knocks them over too. Through donations, cancer research has advanced SO much in the last 5-10 years. Many lives are now saved because of people’s generosity. This advance in reaserch can mean so much, this can mean that a new mommy gets to live to raise her baby. Every life matters. One in 8 women will have breast cancer, that's a huge number still. 

 
With your help, I can reach my fundraising goal of $1000 and make a life-changing difference for so many people. Every dollar I raise will fund groundbreaking breast cancer research and support programs and services for those impacted by this disease. 
 
Please donate today. I believe better treatment options and survival outcomes are possible. Together, we can give Canadians impacted by breast cancer a reason to have hope. And we can help change the future for all. 
 
Thank you! I appreciate your generous support.


Love, Andy


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Fundraising honour roll
Thank You to my Donors!
Alain Ohannesyan
Alessio & Danilo
$30
Alice Holak-Collins
$51
Andrea Gutierrez Martinez
$25
Angelo Rubino
$100
Anonymous
Anonymous
Ari Agnerian
$51
Celia Martine
$50
Chiovitti Maria
$50
Debbie
$204
Dolores
$51
Edmundo Gabaldon
$510
Enrico V
$153
Fer y Diego
$61
Giulia
$25
Ivonne
$50
Jessica zanatta
$50
Karla y Pedro
$50
Luisella
$50
Maribel
$20
Matthew Pellegrino
$100
Melanie A
$51
Miss Pamela Cifola
$51
Nick
$50
Robert medalsy
$100
Sara Keltie
$51
Sonia
$50
Tania Reyes
$40
Trevor Gill
$20
Vanessa
$25
Vince M
$25
You used to call me Ruben
$50
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Total activity - Montréal
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