Dear Friends, Family, and Community,

We come together today with heavy hearts but also with hope as we rally to support our dear friend, Irene who is bravely battling cancer for the SECOND time after beating breast cancer previously. This fight is incredibly challenging, both physically and financially, and Irene needs our help!

Irene has always been a beacon of strength, with her BEAMING smile, she is so inspiring to those around her with her resilience and positive spirit. However, the ongoing treatments for cancer have become a significant burden, especially since traditional chemotherapy is not an option due to her Crohn’s disease. Instead, Irene requires a specialized type of treatment known as biosimilar chemotherapy, which, while effective, comes at a staggering cost. We can’t forget the miles put on their car, the cost of gas, hotels and meals. The cards Irene has been dealt are deal breaking, but she still remembers our kids birthdays, she will go out of her way to make you feel special and cared for, and she will FEED you such delicious food! She is one of the kindest, soft hearted, hilariously terrible at directions, probably always going to be late, but most amazing friend/daughter/partner. After knowing Irene and being one her best friends in the past 10 years, life has been HARD for her. We are hoping and praying that perhaps by offering a little financial relief that maybe their hearts and minds can have a break too.

The expenses associated with this necessary treatment are overwhelming. Many of us know that our government and private insurance often falls short when it comes to covering these types of medications, leaving patients like Irene to shoulder a heavy financial load. On top of that, there are countless other costs that come with managing cancer and Crohn's—doctor visits, medications, driving from Cold Lake to wherever treatment is available as soon as possible and the list goes on. I think we tend to forget that Irene is fighting for HER LIFE, and we all know stress doesn’t help with the healing process and time is precious. These everyday necessities in life don’t stop just because one is fighting for their health. Greg has to work to ensure they can atleast tread water, which means that Irene is often left to go to such treatments SOLO. Her family all live on Vancouver Island, so I feel as friends and a community we we might be able to help make that dream of a calm, cancer less and comfy life come true.

Please consider making a donation or sharing this fundraiser with others who may want to help. No contribution is too small—every dollar brings us closer to the goal of providing Irene with the care she needs. All I know is I will try and move mountains for my friend, as she is always ready to move them for me.

Thank you for at least taking the time to read, and if you are able to donate, thank you. From the bottom of my heart, Irene and Greg deserve a LITTLE bit of love and light to help them through some of the darkest times they have faced yet.

Love to all, health to all, and thank you again.