Stand with Dale: Fighting a Rare and Aggressive Cancer

Thank you for supporting Dale during his fight

Hi, we’re Kylie and Jennifer. Kylie is the oldest of Dale’s four kids—aged 30, 19, 13, and 10—and Jennifer is Dale’s younger sister. From the bottom of our hearts, we want to thank you for clicking on this link and taking the time to support Dale and our family during this incredibly difficult time.

If you know Dale Young, you know he’s one of the toughest, smartest, and hardest-working people you’ll ever meet. A single father, an industrial millwright, and a man who built an impressive career from the ground up—working his way from his early 20s living in Mexico to managing large-scale projects across North America. But no matter how demanding his job was, Dale’s priorities have always been crystal clear: work hard and be there for his kids.

Unfortunately, that work has come to a sudden halt. Life threw us the one word no one ever wants to hear: cancer.

F$*K cancer.

It started with fatigue, dizzy spells, and a raspy voice that wouldn’t go away. Then came the scans—revealing an 8.5 x 5.5 x 4.5 cm mass on the left side of his neck, pressing on his windpipe and vocal cord. A biopsy in February 2025 confirmed our worst fear: Anaplastic Thyroid Carcinoma (ATC)—a rare, aggressive, and incurable form of thyroid cancer characterized by uncontrolled growth and metastasis making it difficult to treat.

RVH in Barrie moved quickly, referring Dale to Sunnybrook Health Science Centre, where a surgeon cleared their schedule to operate—bumping other patients because of the urgency of his condition. That’s when we truly understood how serious this was.

On April 25, Dale underwent invasive surgery to remove as much of the tumour as possible. The procedure was intense, requiring the removal of parts of his cartilage, muscle, and esophagus, along with most of his thyroid and parathyroid. But thanks to a skilled team and Dale’s strength, the surgery was a success. They removed 97% of the tumour, and he still has his voice—something we are incredibly thankful for. A heartfelt thank you to Dale’s incredible team. We’ve been truly overwhelmed with gratitude for the exceptional care provided by his oncology team, nurses, and radiation therapists so far.

Only three weeks later, he began the next chapter: 33 rounds of radiation and weekly chemotherapy at the Odette Cancer Centre out of Sunnybrook. Radiation for head and neck cancer is brutal—requiring a tight mask to be bolted to a table to prevent movement. It’s physically and emotionally exhausting. And this is just the beginning.

There's also talk of immunotherapy—a treatment that could be life-saving but is difficult to access and may not be covered by OHIP. That’s another scary reality we’re facing.

Dale now faces daily travel to and from the Odette Centre/Sunnybrook in Toronto—over 3.5 hours round-trip Monday through Friday—while managing recovery, treatment side effects, and daily life.

The financial impact is enormous. With the loss of income, our family is trying to manage:

Dale is a fighter. He’s calm, strong, optimistic, and determined—even in the face of something as terrifying and uncertain as this. We are so proud of him, and we’re doing everything we can to support him through the fight of his life.

The last thing Dale needs right now is the added stress of finances. He needs to focus on healing and fighting, and that’s why we’ve created this GoFundMe—to ease that burden and allow him to focus 100% on getting better.

We know we’re not alone—Dale has a whole community of people who love and believe in him. As we navigate this difficult journey, we’re reaching out to you for support. Every contribution, no matter how small, helps lighten the load during this challenging time. Your generosity means the world to us, and we’re deeply grateful for any help you can offer. A like, a share, words of encouragement, or a donation—every little bit helps.

Thank you so much for being here. Thank you for helping us fight for Dale and for helping us keep hope alive.

With love and gratitude,

Kylie, Jennifer, and Family

xo