To Help the Family of Denis Stepanyak

UPDATE May 2, 2025 from Harmel Guram

Dear Friends and Supporters,

Denis has been undergoing treatment/therapy and testing since we last updated you nearly 1 year ago. It has been an unimaginably exhausting experience and despite the wonderful help everyone stepped up to provide, Denis and his family have incurred enormous financial debt as he continues treatment while having been on and off work in his attempt to resume to full-time work. Aside from the financial debt, it has been extremely mentally exhausting as Denis works on his physical recovery and resumption of work.

We are humbly asking for more help to give Denis and his family another lift through this stretch as he continues with his therapy. Let's show Denis that we are also his family and that we are here for him.

UPDATE May 15 from the Stepanyak Family

Dear Friends and Supporters,

Words cannot express the depth of gratitude my family and I feel for your overwhelming generosity and support during this incredibly challenging time. Your contributions to the GoFundMe campaign and the Challenge Coin FB auction page have touched my family’s hearts in ways we never imagined possible.

The outpouring of love, prayers, and positive thoughts from our CBSA Family, close friends and beyond has been nothing short of remarkable. Knowing that so many of you have rallied behind my little family with such compassion and generosity fills me with hope and strength.

The incredible emotions that I experienced over the past month were extremely intense, but thanks to your support, we've found renewed optimism. At first, learning that I have very nearly incurable cancer was beyond devastating and let me to despair as outlook was very grim. Later, when I learned that cancer has not progressed to stage 3 and that there are treatment options available, particularly new immunotherapy specific to my type of disease in Germany, has been a ray of hope in the midst of uncertainty. The treatment is very expensive and only partially covered by the medical plan.

Your generous donations will not only assist in covering the cost of my treatment but also help ease the financial burden of expenses related to my more than one month stay in Germany for this amazing therapy that will cost our family more than 80 thousand dollars. With no paid leave left your help is particularly valuable and appreciated to continue our mortgage payments and not losing our home. Your kindness has given us the chance for the best possible outcome, and for that, I will be forever grateful. Without you, this lifesaving opportunity would have never existed.

To each and every one of you who has contributed, prayed, shared words of encouragement, or simply sent positive vibes my way, please know that you are incredible friends and true family in my eyes. Your support has lifted our family’s spirits and showed me that we are not alone in this fight.

With deepest gratitude, incredibly humbled and forever thankful,

Denis, Kate, Niki, Olivia and Andrew

UPDATE April 17 from Rani Gosal

The past week has been an absolute rollercoaster for Denis and his family. Learning that he has esophageal cancer and being told by medical professionals that his prognosis was dire left little to hope for. The power of prayer and positive thoughts is real! Denis has gone for second and third opinions on his diagnosis and learned that there is hope and that his cancer has not progressed to stage 3! This is fantastic news! Denis also received information on possible treatment options that will give him a chance for the best possible outcome. For Denis, that treatment is immunotherapy for monoclonal antibodies which is a newly developed treatment specific to his disease. However, it is only available in Germany or Israel. The treatment is extremely expensive and your generous donations will assist in covering the cost of the medication needed for his treatment plans as well as expenses related to his one month stay in Germany.

The generosity you have all shown for Denis is remarkable and he is overcome with emotion at the kindness, love and prayers you have all shown through the Go Fund me and the CIU Challenge Coin FB auction page. Some of you have never even met Denis which makes your gift even more heartwarming and meaningful. It is amazing that when one of our own need help, that others are there, no questions asked, to assist. You are all true heroes.

Once Denis has fully absorbed all that has happened in the last week, he will reach out and send his own message of recognition to you all. He just needs a little more time to adapt to the news.

UPDATE - Hello, from Cody Dunlop and Rani Gosal. We are raising funds for our friend and colleague, Denis. Denis is a loving husband and a father to 3 young children under the age of three. To ensure the best life possible for his family he moved them from Vancouver to Calgary. Unfortunately shortly thereafter, Denis was diagnosed with stage 2 esophageal cancer with a fifty percent chance of survival. Stage 2 is not curable however it is manageable but will require a lot of time off of work for treatment. He is waiting on further results that are due on Friday to determine whether or not the cancer has spread and progressed to stage 3. Until then, there remains hope. The outpouring of love and support from our CBSA Family has been tremendous. I ask you all to send your love through prayer for Denis and remain optimistic for positive news.   Denis is completely out of his paid sick leave credits and will need to take some LWOP to manage his care and support his family during this difficult time.

 

Denis is aware that we are all thinking of him and has received the texts and emails many of you have sent however he is not in a position to return them at this time but he knows we all love him. 

 

If you are able support this kind, generous and amazing human, I kindly ask that you make a contribution in any amount.

UPDATE #2: another former colleague, Raman Hara, is coming forward to donate $1 for every $5 raised between $10000 - $20000. For example if we reach $15000, he will donate $1000. If we reach $20000, he will donate $2000. Thank you.

UPDATE: a former colleague of Denis, Shawn Pinto, has come forward to donate $1 for every $5 raised here up to a maximum of $2000. For example, if we raise $5000, Shawn will donate $1000. If we raise $10000, he will donate $2000. Thank you for sharing this link and thank you to our work colleagues for showing your love and support for Denis and his family.

Hello, my name is Harmel and we are raising funds for our colleague and friend, Denis. Denis is a loving husband and a father of 3 young children. He has been diagnosed with cancer and has been given months to live. We are hoping to raise money to support Denis and his young family as they try to navigate this difficult time.