Liana Natale

My father, a fighter

When my father was diagnosed with leukemia, everyone was thunderstruck. He was in great shape, was a never ending worker and the best banana placer. He played saxophone with passion, weeded his backyard so meticulously and had an unconditional love for pasta and ice cream. Clearly, he had absolutely no predisposing condition. That is how unpredictable and vicious cancer is. You never know when life will turn on a dime and reveal the most heartbreaking news. At the start, my father kept his beautiful smile and positive vibes, then his luscious salt and pepper hair fell. He got these painful mouth ulcers and had no choice but to break up with food. He would get daily "cranberry vodkas" through IV from the nurses. He no longer radiated heat and he who spent hours each day in produce fridges became sensitive to cold. He was put in isolation and was only allowed visitors dressed like Antarcticans. After overcoming many more challenges, he finally got his bone marrow transplant and became a new and improved version of his own son, a Roberto Natale 2.o. For a long time, I left like I had lost my dad, but I knew it was just a matter of time before he resurfaced. Though it all, he fought, he never gave up and he made it through.

My father was amongst the lucky warriors. I would like to raise money to help and support the families who aren't so lucky or who don't have the means to pull through. I also would like to help find a cure because cancer doesn't have its place in anyone's life.

Did you know that an estimated 138,000 people are affected by blood cancers in Canada?
That someone is diagnosed every 23 minutes?
And that every 72 minutes someone will die?
I want to do my part to help change these statistics.

Thanks for your support!

Lets decorate our neighbourhood together!

Liana Natale