“I have Cancer”

That’s one word - CANCER, no child wants to hear from their mother.

While still in shock, I recall Mom crying and feeling overwhelmed with fear, panic, dread, terror but above all, the feeling of helplessness when she told us this news.

In September our mother, Marie Kettle was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, an incurable type of cancer that forms in a type of white blood cells called a plasma cell. 

Healthy plasma cells help you fight infections by making antibodies that recognise and attack germs. In multiple Myeloma, cancerous plasma cells accumulate in the bone marrow and crowd out healthy blood cells.

 With medications, chemotherapy, and stem cell treatments they may be able to slow down this horrible disease and provide Mom with some comfort for the pain, but there is no cure.

If you know our Mom, then you know what a kindhearted, loving, and generous soul she is. She always thinks of others before herself. She can light up a room with her smile, her voice, or while playing her guitar just to make someone else smile. When she is not working like crazy, she spends any extra time she has with family, friends and rescuing animals.

Because our Mom is one of the toughest and hardest working people we know. We never thought that we would need to ask for support. But recently, she had to leave her job because the treatments are taking such big a toll on her, both physically and mentally. Also, with the ongoing Covid-19 Pandemic, her immune system cannot risk any further infections.

Her work does not provide health coverage, so with the cost for the medications and travel for medical appointments - the bills are starting to pile up. And she will have many further expenses to come. We are trying to get into the Trillium Drug Program and are seeking help through the Cancer Society, but this all takes time and doesn't cover everything.

Now that the initial shock of this news has begun to settle, we are grateful for the moments and memories that we have, and for the new ones that we are still able to create.

We want to thank everyone from the bottom of our hearts for your love and support during this extremely difficult time.

Love T.J. / Kathy / Angela

Kettle / Rose / Wheeler Family