Help "Shelley Bear" Fight Rare Stage 3 Ovarian Cancer

Shelley Needs Us Now.

Shelley or as known to many as "Shelley Bear" is a proud Indigenous woman, educator, activist, mother, and femtor — Shelley has worked supporting our youth and people in their journeys, she's fought for justice and promoted healing in our places of work and within numerous communities. Now she is fighting for her life.

Please consider donating—whatever you can—and share this with your friends. Together, we can show that compassion doesn't require familiarity. It just requires heart.

✨ In Her Words

“I never thought this path would be mine — walking with cancer, asking for help. Your support is like a warm fire in the cold — it gives me strength; it lifts my spirit. With all your support, I feel the drumbeat of hope again, and it helps me hold on to a future of healing, and to the dream that I can return to my work, my community, and my full life. Chi-miigwech.”

— Shelley Bear

Facing an Aggressive Cancer Diagnosis

Shelley has been diagnosed with Stage 3 Ovarian Clear Cell Carcinoma; a rare and aggressive cancer linked to Endometriosis.

She underwent extensive surgery to remove a large pelvic tumor that had spread to:

After over 60 days in hospital and several life-threatening complications, Shelley is now in a long and uncertain recovery. But true to form, she is still a fighter — determined to reclaim her health and her future.

A Life of Service, Purpose, and Love

Shelley is so much more than a diagnosis.

She is a:

Most recently, she became a proud graduate of SFU's Executive MBA in Indigenous Business Leaders — completing the program at 57, a powerful act of breaking intergenerational cycles and reclaiming space for the next generations of Indigenous leaders to rise.

With an adventurous spirit, she has danced under disco lights, followed music through cities and ceremonies, explored Mother Earth and immersed herself in Indigenous arts and cultural traditions. She most recently, joined a band rooted in eco-activism and began taking singing lessons — a beautiful reminder that joy knows no age limits.

She also began building her dream social enterprise: Bears Den Consulting and Training envisioned to cultivate safe, inclusive spaces through Indigenous wisdom and transformative leadership. Her diagnosis has forced her to pause that dream — for now.

Why Your Support Matters

Shelley is currently unable to work and is about to begin six (6) months of intense chemotherapy, and she has no other source of income. The transition from being a student to stepping into the early stages of launching her dream has left her without the financial resources to cover daily living expenses and many of the essentials needed while she is receiving treatment and taking the time for recovery.

Your donation will help cover:

If her work has ever helped, inspired, or supported you…If she ever poured into your journey…I am asking for a little of that poured back now.

Your generosity will allow her to focus on healing — not survival.

How You Can Help

1) Donate — Every $5 can bring her one step closer to stability.

2) Share this fundraiser with your friends, family, and community.

3) Send love, prayers, or kind words — they lift her spirit on hard

days.

Together, we can carry Shelley through this chapter — just as she’s carried so many of others.

With deep gratitude,

Shelley Bear’s Strength Support Team

https://gofund.me/7cb47936

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