It’s hard to know how to help a friend that was devastated by cancer, or even what to say to ease the pain. Even when your heart is in the right place, it’s a challenge to find the right words and steer clear of the wrong ones.  This is  my way of helping a very good friend of mine, someone that is  like a family to me here in Canada.

I've known Zoli for over six years.  He took me under his wings and taught me a lot about the trade.  He was a strong role model to me with his determination, dedication and hard work. Zoli immigrated to Canada in 2013 to provide better life for his  wife and two daughters.  Him and his wife, Ildikó, worked long hours  together in the construction industry to save money in order to  build a better future for their daughters. 

March 2018  turned everything around. Ildikó was diagnosed with brain tumor and underwent two operations and intensive chemo therapy.  A year later she was cancer-free; however, the  tumor returned  fast and grew quickly. Doctors  advised against another surgery and proposed palliative care at home. While his daughters were in school, Zoli looked after his  dying wife and continued to work in the evenings and weekends in order to pay the bills. Debts  continued to climb and their dream of better life in Canada disappeared. 

Ildikó  passed away in November 2019 at the early age of 48.  Although no amount of money  can  ever replace a loving mother to two teenage girls,  it would  ease some of the  financial  burden  the family is now facing with funeral and other costs, and  it's the least we can help with.