Gillian's Journey
Donation protected
My name is Heather McLaughlin and I am one of Gillian Wardlaw-Longrigg's best friends. In August of 2013 Gillian found out she had triple negative breast cancer.
For the past 10 years, Gillian, has been having yearly mammograms as her mother had passed away from the same disease. Gillian was so vigilant with her mammograms! It was 5 months after her last one that she discovered a lump that grew quickly and she was diagnosed with stage III aggressive breast cancer.
The cancer had grown so big in such a short amount of time. It had already infiltrated the soft tissues around the tumor. As you could imagine this was a shock to everyone!! It was devastating for Gillian to have to tell her family and even more devastating for her family to hear it, a second time. She had taken good care of her health, took the right precautions because of her family history not to mention she was good to her body. She ate well and excerised regularly!!
With dignity and a no-nonsense attitude, Gillian proceeded with chemo, double mastectomy and radiation. She did this without complaint, grateful to everyone who helped her in any way.
It was inspiring to watch her go through these horrific medical treatments with such strength and grace. She continued working throughout treatment, taking minimal time off, only when she needed to, trying to continue life as "normal" as could be for herself, friends and her family and her boys.
After her last radiation treatment and follow up everything looked great and she began to get back to feeling alive again, even getting back into her usual exercise routine. Life was quickly getting back to its new normal.
In December of 2014, 6 months after her last radiation,
Gillian got what she thought was a stomach virus that just wouldn't quit. She headed back to her doctor in February of 2015 to find out that she not only had colon cancer, not related to the breast cancer in any way, but that the aggressive breast cancer was back! The breast cancer had spread to her lungs. It was a terrible set back to say the least.
Again with a strength I admire, she had surgery for the colon cancer and got back to work earlier than expected. Not too long after her surgery I messaged her, expecting her to be recovering on the couch and she was back at work!! Her tenacity is incredible! She continued working and began the recommended chemo drugs to treat the spots in her lungs. There was still hope.
That was six months ago. But since then there has been even more disappointments to bear.
She has recently found out that the drugs are not working at erradicating and minimizing the cancer growth. Doctors don't have much else to offer her but the ability to keep her as comfortable as possible.
Comfortable as possible?? Not good enough!! says Gillian and I believe her!
Through her own research and her many contacts in holistic medicine, she has found an alternative treatment center that can treat her specific cancers. She has contacted the center, they have reviewed her medical files and family history of breast cancer and they have given her the one thing that no one in Canada can give her - hope, and a lot of it.
Gillian will be receiving the most cutting-edge alternative treatments with the newest alternative technology over a 3 week period. Two of the treatments chosen for her include:
1.PhotodynamicTherapy: http://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/types/surgery/photodynamic-fact-sheet
2.RIGVIRVirotherapy: http://www.virotherapy.eu/virotherapy.php
Along with emotional counselling, nutritional guidance, targeted supplements picked specific to her, she will receive other well know alternative treatments such as whole body and local hypothermia.
After completing the three week program specific to her and arriving back home, she will continue treatment in Canada with a one year comprehensive home-care treatment plan with full support from the treatment center.
The treatment center is called Hope4Cancer. It is located in Tijuana, Mexico and the price to fly her and Scott there, receive the treatment, pay for their facilities and food and flight home is $60 000. She is scheduled for treatment in January 2016.
Gilly is aware this is a last chance treatment.
Gillian and Scott were going to fund this themselves, they are looking into selling their home! They don't want to burden anyone.
I just couldn't stand by watching my friend weigh her options, not one of them easy.
I would like to help financially support Gillian and Scott while they do everything they can to fight this disease. I am reaching out to friends, family and people who have faced this themselves or know someone else who has gone through something similar.
I don't want Gilly to face this alone and I know Scott does not want to leave her side. I encourage her and want her to seek alternative treatment and I want Scott to be with her all the way. I don't want Gilly to worry about more than she has to, she has worried enough even if she doesn't show it to the world. I want her to choose whatever option in medical treatment she wants and go for it, knowing she is supported in every way. I want her to feel she has done everything she can. I especially want her to have hope.
They have been through enough. If we all give a little we can at least ease the financial burden they face and let them just hope.
Please help give Gillian a chance to hope.
Thank you,
Heather McLaughlin
For the past 10 years, Gillian, has been having yearly mammograms as her mother had passed away from the same disease. Gillian was so vigilant with her mammograms! It was 5 months after her last one that she discovered a lump that grew quickly and she was diagnosed with stage III aggressive breast cancer.
The cancer had grown so big in such a short amount of time. It had already infiltrated the soft tissues around the tumor. As you could imagine this was a shock to everyone!! It was devastating for Gillian to have to tell her family and even more devastating for her family to hear it, a second time. She had taken good care of her health, took the right precautions because of her family history not to mention she was good to her body. She ate well and excerised regularly!!
With dignity and a no-nonsense attitude, Gillian proceeded with chemo, double mastectomy and radiation. She did this without complaint, grateful to everyone who helped her in any way.
It was inspiring to watch her go through these horrific medical treatments with such strength and grace. She continued working throughout treatment, taking minimal time off, only when she needed to, trying to continue life as "normal" as could be for herself, friends and her family and her boys.
After her last radiation treatment and follow up everything looked great and she began to get back to feeling alive again, even getting back into her usual exercise routine. Life was quickly getting back to its new normal.
In December of 2014, 6 months after her last radiation,
Gillian got what she thought was a stomach virus that just wouldn't quit. She headed back to her doctor in February of 2015 to find out that she not only had colon cancer, not related to the breast cancer in any way, but that the aggressive breast cancer was back! The breast cancer had spread to her lungs. It was a terrible set back to say the least.
Again with a strength I admire, she had surgery for the colon cancer and got back to work earlier than expected. Not too long after her surgery I messaged her, expecting her to be recovering on the couch and she was back at work!! Her tenacity is incredible! She continued working and began the recommended chemo drugs to treat the spots in her lungs. There was still hope.
That was six months ago. But since then there has been even more disappointments to bear.
She has recently found out that the drugs are not working at erradicating and minimizing the cancer growth. Doctors don't have much else to offer her but the ability to keep her as comfortable as possible.
Comfortable as possible?? Not good enough!! says Gillian and I believe her!
Through her own research and her many contacts in holistic medicine, she has found an alternative treatment center that can treat her specific cancers. She has contacted the center, they have reviewed her medical files and family history of breast cancer and they have given her the one thing that no one in Canada can give her - hope, and a lot of it.
Gillian will be receiving the most cutting-edge alternative treatments with the newest alternative technology over a 3 week period. Two of the treatments chosen for her include:
1.PhotodynamicTherapy: http://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/types/surgery/photodynamic-fact-sheet
2.RIGVIRVirotherapy: http://www.virotherapy.eu/virotherapy.php
Along with emotional counselling, nutritional guidance, targeted supplements picked specific to her, she will receive other well know alternative treatments such as whole body and local hypothermia.
After completing the three week program specific to her and arriving back home, she will continue treatment in Canada with a one year comprehensive home-care treatment plan with full support from the treatment center.
The treatment center is called Hope4Cancer. It is located in Tijuana, Mexico and the price to fly her and Scott there, receive the treatment, pay for their facilities and food and flight home is $60 000. She is scheduled for treatment in January 2016.
Gilly is aware this is a last chance treatment.
Gillian and Scott were going to fund this themselves, they are looking into selling their home! They don't want to burden anyone.
I just couldn't stand by watching my friend weigh her options, not one of them easy.
I would like to help financially support Gillian and Scott while they do everything they can to fight this disease. I am reaching out to friends, family and people who have faced this themselves or know someone else who has gone through something similar.
I don't want Gilly to face this alone and I know Scott does not want to leave her side. I encourage her and want her to seek alternative treatment and I want Scott to be with her all the way. I don't want Gilly to worry about more than she has to, she has worried enough even if she doesn't show it to the world. I want her to choose whatever option in medical treatment she wants and go for it, knowing she is supported in every way. I want her to feel she has done everything she can. I especially want her to have hope.
They have been through enough. If we all give a little we can at least ease the financial burden they face and let them just hope.
Please help give Gillian a chance to hope.
Thank you,
Heather McLaughlin
Organizer
Heather Macpherson McLaughlin
Organizer
Kitchener, ON
