Melissa & Tom

Melissa and Tom were both affected by a blood cancer.

Melissa:
I was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in 2013 & AML in 2015. The biggest challenge I faced was being diagnosed with a secondary cancer 2 years after being treated and needing a stem cell transplant from an outside donor, since none of my family members were a close enough match.

It was life-changing. In 2013, I was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. My experience changed my perspective on life. At the beginning, I thought "what did I do?" for this to happen to me. I questioned what I valued and re-assessed what was important.

Canadians should join LTN because so many people are impacted by blood cancers (many more than I ever realized before I was first diagnosed) and the walk brings hope and awareness to the cause. LTN allows us to give back, and raises much needed funding for medical research and advancement.

Tom:
I was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) in 2014. The biggest challenge I faced was finding the donor and when I was going through chemo I felt weak. My biggest moment of fear was when I got an infection caused severe sepsis.

Being diagnosed was life re-affirming and I wasn't as negative about the diagnosis as I thought I’d be. I knew I had to keep positive thoughts. It re-affirmed what was important. I’m more appreciative of many things in my life.

My favourite moment of LTN is seeing everyone, it is like a reunion. It is a celebration and symbolizes another a year of victory for us.
It seems like there's one degree of separation from cancer so it makes sense to support because you'll most likely be impacted someday directly or indirectly. There are also tangible results coming from the work LLSC is doing. When I was going through treatment, having a transplant from someone who was a 7 out of 10 match was out of the question it had to be a 9 out of 10 match. That’s not necessarily the case today due to research.