Strike Out Cancer - Bowling Event 2020

Total Amount Raised
$802.00

Total Goal
$4,668.24

Join Us Today

Please note: The event on March 28th has been cancelled; however, we are keeping open this donation page as we are still hoping to raise $4,668.24 for the Central Alberta Cancer Centre!

Welcome to Strike Out Cancer!

We are raising funds for the Central Alberta Cancer Center to support Central Albertans facing Cancer. We are aiming to raise $4,668.24. Why this odd number? Read Laura's story below to find out more.

Proceeds from the event directly support cancer patients and their families in Central Alberta, because all proceeds are being donated to the Central Alberta Cancer Centre. Together with the Alberta Cancer Foundation, we identify the greatest needs and the biggest opportunities to improve patient experience.

LAURA'S STORY

My name is Laura Stephan. I am a wife, mother of 4 boys and I currently work as a legal assistant at JD Law

I was diagnosed with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (”CML”) on April 22, 2019 at the age of 33. Looking back, I had all of the telltale symptoms of Leukemia; weird bruising, joint pain, fatigue, and feeling full even when I ate very little. Unfortunately, I didn’t know any of the signs of Leukemia, and I paid little attention to them. It wasn’t until I thought I could feel a lump in my stomach that I finally decided to see a doctor for a few different symptoms that I assumed had nothing to do with each other. I didn’t even feel sick. My family doctor recommended that I get some blood work completed.

I will never forget the moment I found out I had cancer, nor the sleepless nights that followed. I knew nothing about Leukemia. It was Easter Monday 2019 and my husband and I had just returned from a weekend trip to Nashville. When we checked our voice messages, we had a number of messages from my Doctor who had been trying to reach me all weekend because my blood results had come back and showed extremely high white blood cell counts. My doctor even drove out to our house to try and track me down. It was all a whirlwind, and I found out around 10 PM Easter Monday evening that I had Leukemia. The following day I met with a Hematologist and learned more about my cancer. Without treatment I would have around 3-6 months left to live, but with treatment, if effective for me, I could live a pretty normal length of life. On Wednesday morning, within 34 hours of finding out I had cancer, I went for a Bone Marrow Biopsy at the Red Deer Regional Hospital where they take liquid marrow and a piece of your bone to confirm your diagnosis, which was one of the most painful experiences of my life. My hematologist made a request to start me on a targeted chemotherapy which is specific to my type of cancer. The medicine is called Dasatinib and in Canada, only in Alberta and Ontario can a CML cancer patient start on this 2^nd generation cancer treatment. This was a huge blessing for me and my family as my cancer treatment has been very effective and has allowed me to continue working and helping to support my family.

The reason I wanted to be involved with raising funds for Cancer, namely for the Central Alberta Cancer Center in Red Deer, is because I feel so blessed to live somewhere that has helpful programs, support, and which covers the costs of my cancer treatment. One pill a day keeps me alive, but it is a very expensive pill. The cost for my cancer medicine is $4,668.24 per month which is about $56,000 a year. I would like to do what I can to give back to a community that has helped me so much. I hope to raise at least $4,668.24, for the Central Alberta Cancer Center, which is the equivalent cost of one month of the medicine I take each day and have this money benefit others who use the Central Alberta Cancer Center in Red Deer. There are so many different types of cancer that affect so many of us in one way or another. The Alberta Cancer Foundation and the Central Alberta Cancer Center are here to help all of us in our community.