Support for Karen Michel and Family

On September 10th, Karen was admitted to the Lions Gate Hospital, after experiencing significant and increasing memory loss for the past 2 weeks. MRIs detected 4 tumors thereafter, which were determined to be an aggressive form of terminal stage 4 brain cancer, known as glioblastoma. After careful consideration from the medical team, it was decided that removing the other tumors would be a very high-risk procedure, due to their location being in her frontal lobe area. Removing the remaining tumors would likely cause her to loose all communication and comprehension. Only one month after Karen's diagnosis, her doctors have given her a prognosis of approximately 6 months. Performing radiation and chemotherapy would only cause more unnecessary discomfort, and would likely not yield any progress in recovery. As anyone close to the Michel/ Haraldson family could see, the discovery of this heartbreaking disease has been extremely taxing on Karen's family and friends, both emotionally and physically. Any amount donated will not only offer Karen's family a chance to let her live her final days as comfortably and happily as possible, it will also help ease the heavy financial burden of 24 hour caretaking, much of which has been ongoing already for her family and close friends for the past month. As we now know, the very difficult time will come, when we will eventually say a final farewell to our dear friend. Donations will also go towards a celebration of life. Karen has spent the majority of her adult life as a single mother, raising two kids and running a one-woman business for dog walking and pet care on the North shore. She is a symbol of strength and endurance, and is well-loved in the community. Karen would never want anyone to feel emotional stress and hardship on her behalf, being the selfless and generous person she has always been. Now is the time we can all show our compassion, love and gratitude to Karen and her family, through this tremendously difficult time.