Support Lisa Day

My name is Lisa Marie Day and I live on a farm in rural Athabasca. I am a mother to 5 amazing boys, wife to an amazing husband, grade 4 teacher, athlete, and friend! As a non-smoker marathon runner who strived to live a healthy life, lung cancer at 42 came as a shock. One weekend I was training for my first ultra and the next I was in an ambulance struggling to breathe. It has been just over a year since my world was turned upside down with just 6 words, “ You have stage 4 lung cancer!” There is no cure for stage 4 lung cancer but for those that do not know me, giving up on living was not an option.
 
Many hours of researching, networking, and consulting and this is what I know for sure…people can go into remission or live extended lives after a stage 4 diagnosis (so ignore the scary statistics that you hear or read on the internet). However, there is not one single miracle drug as cancer is complicated and everyone’s internal terrain is different.
 
I have researched treatments around the world in hopes of learning how to manage my cancer while still maintaining a good quality of life. Hyperthermia (process of transporting medicine more efficiently to the cancer cells through heat) has been proven to assist in the healing of cancer. Mistletoe, artesunate IV, and vitamin C IV are also scientifically proven to help heal cancer in various ways. These treatments are used as standard care in various parts of the world but not here in Canada. These treatments cost $700 per session and are offered on the South side of Edmonton, around 3 hours from my residency in Athabasca county. Twice a week we leave our boys at home while my husband drives me into Edmonton, this excursion takes all day. This treatment costs $1400 weekly, $5600 monthly excluding travel costs.
 
I also believe in the whole-body healing approach which means boosting the immune system through supplements, prescriptions, detoxing, massage, chiropractor adjustments and energy work. My healing regime is supported by my naturopathic oncologist. This part of my healing regime costs around $2000 a month.
 
Through prayer and scripture, I have come to have a stronger relationship with God and I know that he works all things for good.(Romans 8:29) I have discovered how to be grateful during this journey(1thessalonians 5:18) and I am learning how to relinquish my fear and put my trust in God.(Psalm 9:10) As difficult as it is to understand at times, God is in control and I know His thoughts and ways are not my thoughts or ways.(Isaiah 55:8)
 
I have been blessed with the outpouring of love, prayer, meals, and financial support from my family, friends, and community. My plan is to keep enjoying life and sharing God’s grace with others until the day that God calls me home. I would appreciate any financial support and prayers to help me heal medically and holistically from cancer in order that I may experience a long life raising my boys, teaching the gift of learning to my students, and sharing my cancer journey in the hopes of helping and inspiring others.

August 19, 2020 “20-year anniversary”

Family photo June 2018

First backpacking trip…August 2019…
just weeks before diagnosis