Highland riders (Steve & JUstine) take on the Tour de Cure

Please support me in the Tour de Cure!

It's not hard to find motivation to support cancer research but here are some stories that hit a bit closer to home.

This August I will be embarking on a cycling challenge covering 200kms over two days!! I have committed to participate in the Tour de Cure presented by Wheaton Precious Metals to help BC Cancer Foundation break down cancer.

My Story

I've got a LOT of moles but one on my neck kept getting itchy and seemed to be getting darker. I procrastinate and thought it was nothing but my husband kept encouraging me to get it checked out. This was at the beginning of COVID and so I finally thought why not and booked a telehealth appointment.

The doctor thought it was worth getting checked out by a Dermatolgist so got me referred. Once that doctor reviewed they thought it didn't look concerning but they'd remove it just in case.

Some time later I got a call from the telehealth doctor asking if the Dermatologist had contacted me yet (they hadn't, they were on vacation). He let me know that the biopsy came back cancerous ... Melanoma, the most serious type of skin cancer BUT in situ (hadn't spread beyond the top layer of skin) and I'd need to get surgery again right away.

My mind goes to chemo and my family and what I've seen others go through but I calmy tell my husband and then immediately jump to learning more about this.

In this case the additional surgery was all that was required as they got clean margins. The wait for getting results back from that second surgery was a bit tense but my experience pales in comparison to what others have gone through.

My Moms Story

November 15, 1956 - July 24, 2018

I'm sure many who have lost someone can relate ... but it still makes me tear up writing about this.

In June 2017, my mom was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer after almost eight years in remission.

"I'm fine" was one of the last things she said, and that speaks volumes for her character; she would do anything for her family and always showed such strength for them. We will be forever grateful for all the time we had to share with her and miss her every day.

My Mother In Laws Story

December 28, 1953 - March 18, 2005

I feel incredibly lucky that I got the chance to meet Cathy but it breaks my heart that our daughter did not. She passed within a year of being diagnosed with lung cancer. This was early on in my relationship with Steve (now husband!) and it was incredibly hard to see him go through this type of loss so young. Her memory lives on through stories and pictures we share with our daughter.

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Thank you so much for your support!