June 2, 2015
We left Friday to camp at Little Bow. It was raining. And it was cold. But I was so happy to just be camping it didn't bother me...nor my family. Nor Liz & her family. Nor Bobbi & her family next morning when they met up with us. It was the first camping trip of the season with the three of us together - me, Liz & Bobbi and we had a great time. We even had a gnome with us...which made for some funny pictures lol
The kids even swam the last day - and it was NOT hot out!!
We had zero phone service and great company - what more could you ask for?
On Monday with the kids back at the dayhome and me getting the camping laundry started I was catching up on Facebook. That's when I found out.
Late Friday night, surrounded by her family at home, Tamara Gignac passed away from her stage 4 colon canser diagnosis the previous June.
I have never met Tamara. But she has never been more than a thought away during my canser road. See, at last year's Ride To Conquer, a Herald reporter asked me about my bald head and the sign I proudly held cheering on my precious One Aim team. As we talked, she told me about a co-worker who had just been diagnosed with colon canser. Her kids were the same age as mine. I told her she could give her co-worker my contact info - it was different kind of canser, but I too was a young mother going through treatment. I could empathise.
A few weeks later I found her team page on Facebook - Team Tamara YYC - where she posted about her stage 4 diagnosis. She was a journalist and her writing left me with wet eyes. I posted a comment of encouragement and told her she could get in touch. I never heard from her but I did follow her journey throughout mine. I felt a connection to this young mom and buoyed by the hope I felt from The Ride, and then The Run For The Cure, I felt there wasn't anything us young healthy mom's couldn't do. Even beat stage 4 canser. I wanted her to live a long life. I wanted her kids to grow old with their mother.
With the small bits of good news that rolled in on her page - the tumours appeared to be responding to the chemo - I rejoiced. One for the good guys.
On Mother's day, she wrote a poignant article about facing her mortality and trying to make every moment count - particularly with her children. I cried through most of it. All I could think was "that could be me. That could be Em and Ethan she's talking about".
And now she's gone.
As I read the words "Calgary Journalist Tamara Gignac's brave battle with terminal canser comes to an end" I promptly burst into tears. With each article I read, I cried harder.
She is the first person I've been connected to since being diagnosed that has died. I was in complete disbelief. And my heart was broken for her family.
No, I never met Tamara, but her story stayed with me and impacted my journey. I was rooting for her. I knew it was stage 4, but she was so young dammit. And her kids are the same age as mine. She wasn't supposed to die.
None of us battling are.
The fact remains that as far as canser research and treatment has come, people continue to die from this wretched disease. Young mothers amongst them.
I think of her children and husband daily. As for Tamara - she will always be the woman I never met, but will never forget.
We need a cure.
Below please see a tribute to Tamara in pictures - posted on the Team Tamara YYC page.
The kids even swam the last day - and it was NOT hot out!!
We had zero phone service and great company - what more could you ask for?
Late Friday night, surrounded by her family at home, Tamara Gignac passed away from her stage 4 colon canser diagnosis the previous June.
I have never met Tamara. But she has never been more than a thought away during my canser road. See, at last year's Ride To Conquer, a Herald reporter asked me about my bald head and the sign I proudly held cheering on my precious One Aim team. As we talked, she told me about a co-worker who had just been diagnosed with colon canser. Her kids were the same age as mine. I told her she could give her co-worker my contact info - it was different kind of canser, but I too was a young mother going through treatment. I could empathise.
A few weeks later I found her team page on Facebook - Team Tamara YYC - where she posted about her stage 4 diagnosis. She was a journalist and her writing left me with wet eyes. I posted a comment of encouragement and told her she could get in touch. I never heard from her but I did follow her journey throughout mine. I felt a connection to this young mom and buoyed by the hope I felt from The Ride, and then The Run For The Cure, I felt there wasn't anything us young healthy mom's couldn't do. Even beat stage 4 canser. I wanted her to live a long life. I wanted her kids to grow old with their mother.
With the small bits of good news that rolled in on her page - the tumours appeared to be responding to the chemo - I rejoiced. One for the good guys.
On Mother's day, she wrote a poignant article about facing her mortality and trying to make every moment count - particularly with her children. I cried through most of it. All I could think was "that could be me. That could be Em and Ethan she's talking about".
And now she's gone.
As I read the words "Calgary Journalist Tamara Gignac's brave battle with terminal canser comes to an end" I promptly burst into tears. With each article I read, I cried harder.
She is the first person I've been connected to since being diagnosed that has died. I was in complete disbelief. And my heart was broken for her family.
No, I never met Tamara, but her story stayed with me and impacted my journey. I was rooting for her. I knew it was stage 4, but she was so young dammit. And her kids are the same age as mine. She wasn't supposed to die.
None of us battling are.
The fact remains that as far as canser research and treatment has come, people continue to die from this wretched disease. Young mothers amongst them.
I think of her children and husband daily. As for Tamara - she will always be the woman I never met, but will never forget.
We need a cure.
Below please see a tribute to Tamara in pictures - posted on the Team Tamara YYC page.
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