Hope and Healing for Cristyn

To know Cristyn is to love her. She is strong, kind, hardworking, compassionate, determined, and beautiful – inside and out. She’s so many things to so many people - an incredible friend, sister, daughter, employee, co-worker, coach – and so much more. She’s a “doer” and adventurer who spent the last 10 years exploring the world – learning, growing, creating memories and making lifelong friendships along the way. She taught children in England and in Abu Dhabi and traveled to extraordinary places where she left an impact on everyone she met. She recently moved home to Cape Breton to complete her Master’s Degree in education, all while working tirelessly as a substitute teacher, as a server at Boston Pizza, and as a Crossfit coach.

Recently, Cristyn was diagnosed with stage three colon cancer. She is currently recovering from a major surgery in which a large cancerous tumor was removed. She is now preparing for a daunting six months of chemotherapy.

Cristyn is so remarkably strong in every sense, and we know her resilience will carry her through the unexpected challenges that lay ahead. Not only does this diagnosis mean time away from work, but she is also faced with a difficult decision for her future. This treatment has a high potential to cause infertility. While freezing her eggs is an option she can pursue, it is at a high cost and is not fully covered by any health plan.

While we are all devastated and scared for what is to come for her, our family has been completely overwhelmed by the amount of people who have reached out to see how they can help. We’ve decided to use this platform to help lighten her load and show her all of the love and support she deserves.

Cristyn has faced her diagnosis with incredible courage, tackling each challenge with the same determination and grace that we’ve all admired through her entire life. The road ahead of her is long, but her positivity and strength are a source of inspiration to all of us.

With your kindness and generosity, we can ensure she doesn’t have to face this battle alone.