In the fall of 2021 my dear cousin and friend Karina McDonald was having pain in her abdomen and within a few weeks her stomach was distended and causing her intense pain. She went to her Doctor and had a scan they discovered a growth in her abdomen. It was aggressive and fast growing. With the loving support of her husband and two beautiful children, Karina had surgery in November to remove the growth. When they were removing the growth they found it was attached to her appendix which had burst. They removed it along with one of her ovaries. When the pathology came back they learned that she has a rare low grade appendicial mucinous neoplasm (LAMN) that has led to pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP). She has been recovering since then.

Karina spoke with her Oncologist in early February and was informed that her future involves at least one major surgery (removing her other ovary and possibly her spleen and some bowel) and a HIPEC treatment (hot chemo bath as they can’t locate the exact source of the cancer and are confident it has spread throughout her abdomen) This surgery and treatment will be performed in Vancouver where Karina needs to recover for a minimum of 14 days. When she returns home to be with her family Karina will be recovering for months and possibly the rest of the year. This also doesn’t rule out that she may need future surgeries and chemo treatments. The Oncologist told Karina “You will be a patient of mine for life”, which was devastating for her to hear at the young age of 39.

For all of us that know Karina, she is always carrying a beautiful smile and it’s impossible not to feel her infectious positive energy! Always laughing (with a bonus snort), smiling and bringing humour to even the worst of situations, Karina has kept that smile so far. Being the owner/stylist at Evolve studio has been Karina’s love and passion for many years. She brings joy, happiness and good hair to all her dedicated clients, young and old. We can all agree that this should not be happening to such a beautiful young soul.

Although not good news, Karina has still kept her sense of humour, candid wit and her bright smile on her face. We don’t suspect Karina will be back at work for the remainder of the year and without her income her family will struggle. This is why we are asking you for your kind support. Let’s please help this courageous, happy young woman on her journey, and keep that beautiful smile bright as ever.