Stand with our Mom...Doris Mclean

On March 6th, 2017 our Mom, Doris Mclean, collasped in Vancouver during a Dance Group Trip at her hotel, the River Rock, from excrutiating pain and illness.  She was transported by Ambulence to Vancouver General with our Dad and Megan by her side (the rest of us had already flown back home).  The Doctors soon discovered that there was cancer in her spine in the form of Multiple Myeloma (reoccurrence) and they thought it was the cause of her pain... 

So began Mom's painful and uncertain journey!  90 days later and she is still unable to walk further than a few steps, the cancer has become more aggressive and recently required her to be medevac’d back to Vancouver to the BC Cancer Clinic for radiation and perhaps more chemo.  
(Mom has so many precious family and friends all rallying around her)

Mom initially spent 2 weeks at Vancouver General after she received radiation and a Vertebroplasty, she could barely walk when they released her to an apartment that Dad and I had set up for her recovery and to begin her cancer treatment... suddenly we were administering all of her medications and caring for a very ill patient.  It was scary, overwhelming and we were beyond our abilities! 

After a month in Vancouver, Mom and Dad flew home directed by the Doctors that they would do Chemo in Whitehorse... she couldn’t walk off the plane because her pain was unbearable.  After one week spent at home with Dad, Auntie and I trying to care for her but not being able to provide her the proper care, she ended up in the Whitehorse General Hospital ER... (there is nothing more frustrating than witnessing someone you love in such horrible pain and not being able to make it stop!)  She was readmitted and we were relieved thinking we were on the upswing and things would be better!   Soon she was over medicated and became sedated and was hallucinating, I literally thought my Mom was leaving us, she was out of it for a week!  Finally they started Chemo and it seemed to be working at first but now we discovered that it didn't... so we are back at square one...

Mom was suddenly medevac’d to Vancouver last Wednesday after they discouvered the Multiple Myeloma spread in her spine and onto her skull.   She is now under the care of the amazing Cancer specialists at the BC Cancer Clinic  and urgently underway with hardcore radiation, her fight continues! We are desperately trying to keep her spirits up, she has just been through so much!
(Leaving Whitehorse General)

It is extremely difficult for my very independent and self-reliant parents to ask for help.  The financial costs to our parents have been off the charts.  They have already spent 1000s of dollars during the first time in Vancouver and now they are faced with it again.  Your assistance will help with travel costs, hotel and food costs and also to help recoup costs already incurred by our family because we are constantly traveling from Whitehorse and Winnipeg.  We hope to try some additional pain medications of a holistic nature that are not covered through Non-insured Health but are expensive, because the doctors are saying they may not be able to relieve the pain.

This journey has been challenging, emotionally and physically draining, overwhelming and stressful... we just want her to get better! We all do!  Thank-you for your help!  Every kind word, every meal, every message, every smile, every prayer is so greatly appreciated.  

(Just before she was medevac'd at 7am last Wednesday)

With humility and tremendous Gratitude we thank you!

Marilyn on behalf of,
Shirley, David, Lorinda, Megan and Patrick