Fundraiser for Paula Bezzina's battle against AML Leukemia

Hey, I'm starting this fundraiser for my mom, Paula Bezzina. If you know anything about my mom, you'd know she's a tough, strong willed woman. She was recently diagnosed with AML Leukemia back in February and just finished 43 days of in-patient care at Grand River Hospital. After multiple chemo sessions, a blood clot and many painful bone marrow tests, we're happy to announce we've won the first battle and have officially reached remission!

Paula will be back in the hospital (first back at Grand River Hospital, then to Juravinski Hospital in Hamilton) for at least another 6 weeks of in-patient care, and then 6 months of out-patient. During her time at Juravinski Hopsital she will go through more chemo, leading into a bone marrow transplant. The bone marrow transplant is essential to stay in remission. Immediate family members have been tested and are partial matches, doctors are still waiting to find a 100% match.

Even through everything, Paula has remained positive and optimistic!

During the last 6 weeks in Grand River Hospital, Paula has noticed many things that in-patients have to deal with while living at the hospital. Many wing's of the hospital share the same microwave, kettles, etc because of a lack of funding its hard for them to replace these broken down appliances. On pickup day, my dad, Angelo Bezzina, surprised her floor with with 2 new microwaves and 2 kettles. The appreciation and excitement it brought the nurses was unbelievable.

My mom will be off work for at least another 6-12 months while in recovery which will have a financial impact in lost wages, time off for appointments, commuting, etc. Also, in typical Paula fashion in putting others first, a portion of the funds received will go towards purchasing new appliances, care baskets for new patients, and new equipment the hospitals need.

We understand how times are right now and if you're not able to donate any money, please consider donating blood or stem cells. Blood and platelet transfusions were essential in my mom's recovery, and stem cells are the next big step in the journey.

We look forward to keeping you updated as we go through this journey.