Marlene Fithen

My Red Lantern Story
I walk in support of This year I am walking for as a supporter for my husband Kevin Fithen and in remembrance of my South Tower neighbor Irene Gordon
 

Our story goes back to 2015 when we learned that my husband's heartburn was more then Zantax could handle and on October 30 of that year he received a diagnosis of CML - Chronic Myeloid Leukemia. The good news was that there was so much progress in treatment that he was expected to control it through medication and life would continue. Well life did continue however the meds did not so in August of 2017 he was given his third and final medication to try and his name went on the list to find a donor. A donor was found and we loaded up the car; said goodbye to family and friends and off to Calgary we went. On May 24, 2018 he received his new cells and was making a "miraculous" recovery.

Since we had walked together in the 2016 and 2017 Light the Night Walks in Edmonton of course we were going to do it again in 2018 with more family and friends coming out to celebrate however Kevin had a setback and ended up in the Mazankowski and once again surviving. We walked for him. This year he plans to be there as this walk is so very important to us. We know first hand how Light the Night benefits the many people who have been affected by blood cancer.

While living in the South Tower at the Foothills hospital we met others who are also on this journey. Unfortunately, this year I will carry Gold Lantern to honor the memory of one of them. Every year I can I will continue to support this fundraiser and my wish is to see less and less Gold Lanterns.