Lindsay is the last person to ask for help but always the first one to offer it to anyone who needs a hand. Since she isn't going to ask, I (her sister) am organizing this for her as she has been diagnosed with Stage 3 Cervical Cancer.

After many months of unexplained health issues Lindsay was told that she had "aggressive cancer" at the end of March. But it wasn't until the end of May that she met with an oncologist at the Cross Cancer Institute. At this time she was told that her cancer was Stage 4 Cervical Cancer and was very aggressive. The plan was to do a round of "aggressive chemo" followed by a round of radiation therapy and traditional chemotherapy, followed by further radiation treatment. After a couple of weeks and further review her oncologist clarified that her cancer was Stage 3 cervical cancer as it had not spread to additional areas as much as they initially thought, but the treatment plan would be the same.

This is her story...

Since December of last year Lindsay was dealing with an undiagnosed health issue that was continually getting worse as the months went on. It wasn't until her 5th emergency room visit in a span of 5 weeks that she was referred to a gynecologist to look into what was going on. During her weekly emergency room visits she was given several blood transfusions and iron transfusions in hopes of stabilizing her hemoglobin. 

Despite the challenges that Lindsay was facing she was balancing working full time, raising three children, and various medical appointments and ER visits. That was until March of this year when her gynecologist recommended she go on bedrest in hopes of her not needing to go to the emergency room for more blood and iron transfusions.

Once Lindsay met with her gynecologist a plan was put into place for a procedure that would hopefully improve her health and have her feeling well enough to function again, scheduled for the end of March. Unfortunately, that was not the case as the surgery revealed that Lindsay had a significant tumour and cancer on her cervix and surrounding tissues.

Following her surgery she was told she would be contacted by the Cross Cancer Institute in a matter of days, but it was 6 weeks before she was scheduled for a PET scan and MRI to determine the extent of the cancer. 

To make matters worse, during this time, she was once again in the emergency room requiring blood transfusions as her hemoglobin had dropped. This final ER visit resulted in 2 units of blood and an appointment at the Cross the following day.

During this appointment Lindsay met with one of her oncologists who explained her diagnosis, set her up with a radiation treatment, and 2 more units of blood that same day.

So since May, Lindsay has been at the Cross at least twice a week for bloodwork, oncologist appointments and chemo treatments. 

She had now finished her first round of chemo and radiation. Recently, she went for brachytherapy (internal radiation) to target the largest tumour. 

While there is relief in having a diagnosis and a treatment plan there is a long, uncertain road ahead for Lindsay and her family. Add to that the financial stress as Lindsay has been off work since March and receiving a portion of her income via medical EI as her work does not offer any medical absence benefits. 

As she is the single income earner in the household, the financial strain is mounting.

That’s where we need your help.

A donation, no matter the size will make a huge difference to Lindsay. It will ease the financial burden she is facing, allowing her to focus on what matters most: healing and being there for her kids as they navigate this incredibly difficult time.

This is more than just helping with bills; it’s giving Lindsay the space to rest and recover without the constant worry. It’s making sure she can show up as the mom she’s always been, even on the hardest days.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for any help you can provide.

For those who have asked, to send money directly to Lindsay, you can e-transfer to macdonald.rickard at gmail dot com