Comments for Rich & Gary

Comment on Radiothon Of Hope Raises $172,173!! by irene sacchetto

irene sacchetto — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 00:57:58 +0000

So many thanks to Gary .Rich and Shirley for putting in so many hours of radio time and letting us experience the lifes journeys of the cancers survivours.It was truly touching to hear these voices and realize how strong and resilient these people have been.To them i say “thank you so muchfor your courage to tell your story”.Also thank you very much to Rogers Radio for allowing such a timely cause to cross the airwavesfor so many days and hours, it truly shows that you care about this community and we truly are grateful for this .It took a lot of man hours to set this whole system up and running so flawlessly, and i truly hope ,the citizens of Greater Sudbury will acknowledge your efforts.

Comment on EZ Rock Radiothon Of Hope…Share Your Stories… by Denise Plouffe

Denise Plouffe — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 13:56:11 +0000

Good morning Ritch and Gary:

I want to take this opportunity to thank several groups who were instrumental in the success of the 3rd annual EZ Rock Radiothon of Hope.

What can I say…last week was amazing. The patient testamonials, the researchers review and updates, the staff commitment and dedication were all profiled on the 3rd annual EZ Rock Radiothon of Hope. I want to thank Roger’s Radio EZ Rock 105.3 for their time, energy and commitment to the EZ Rock Radiothon of Hope, without all of you at the local station this event would not be a success.

The annual EZ Rock Radiothon of Hope was the brain child of the a wonderful staff at your station, Al Campagnola. He brought the concept to the Northern Cancer Research Foundation (NCRF) and we ran with it. It is a big commitment on the station’s part and a much appreciated one. You should all be proud of your contribution to the success of the EZ Rock Radioth of Hope; from the radio personalities, to the technical support, to management, everyone has an important role.

Together we raised an incredible $172,173 for the Northeast. Thank you Sudbury for your support, once again you have proven how generous you are.

I could not have done this by myself, I need to thank the Foundation staff, the hours of preparation, revising form, writing letters, making telephone calls and recording interviews. What sums this up is “There is no “I” in team”…thank you ladies for going beyond the call of duty…your the best.

VOLUNTEERS…the heart of the NCRF, without them we could not have managed the telephone bank…from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm we had a full compliment of volunteers eager to accept donations. Thank you for your time and commitment.

Thank you to local merchants for supplying breakfast and lunch for the volunteers and a special thank you to the TRAVELWAY INN for prividing the space for our telephone bank for 3 days. This was very generous and much appreciated.

It is an honour and a privilege to work with all of you. The Northern Cancer Research Foundation has grown into a strong volunteer and staff driven organization that supports groundbreaking research and progressive patient care at the Regional Cancer Program. We continue to be inspired by the generosity of our donors and volunteers. We are thankful of the wonderful support the NCRF receives on an annual basis.

Once again THANK YOU EZ ROCK 105.3…you are #1, you’re the best!!!

Comment on EZ Rock Radiothon Of Hope…Share Your Stories… by Joscelyne Meilleur

Joscelyne Meilleur — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 15:46:34 +0000

Hi I just wanted to let you know that after listening to the Radiothone for the past three days and still bitter about losing my sister to cancer - my mom (Pauline Meilleur) and myself called in this morning to pledge for the next year. Thanks for getting me through this tough time and for making me realize that if everyone gave a bit we CAN make a difference. I want to thank of all your guests who shared their experiences and that is what made me snap out of this bitterness. I have also decided that I would love to give my time for the radiothone of hope next year. Thanks a million.

Josce

Comment on EZ Rock Radiothon Of Hope…Share Your Stories… by Kelli Gatien

Kelli Gatien — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 13:52:46 +0000

Good Morning Gary: As you know, I am a 6 year breast cancer survivor. Each year for the past 3, I have been glued to the Radiothon of Hope. As a survivor, you cannot help but be inspired by all the incredible stories of local victims of cancer. The common thread throughout them all is …hope. You can survive and thrive after cancer. I wish I had the courage of all the people who share their stories with you live. Maybe someday… I want to express my gratitude to you and Rich for giving of yourselves and doing this Radiothon. I know I see you each year at the Relay for Life and the CIBC Run for the Cure. You always give to the community. However, I don’t think you know how much impact you have on the survivors when they see you and know that they have your support. Thank you. I hope to see you on the track for many years to come. May we all outlive this disease! Kelli(Edmunds)Gatien

Comment on EZ Rock Radiothon Of Hope…Share Your Stories… by Ginette

Ginette — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 12:54:10 +0000

I’m very touched especially when I hear & read all the touching stories about the dear people that have been affected by this dreadful disease. I too have been personally touched. The people @ the Cancer Centre do a great service to all who have been afflicted, be it the doctors, the nurses, the clerical persons,, the porters etc., but there are unsung heroes who never get mentionned. How about the in-pt. staff on the Oncology floor, who work very exhausting long hours doing total pt. care. They are very dedicated people who work extremely hard meeting these patients every needs & go over & above the call of duty. I know all about it, I was one of them & I hold a special place in my heart for all my former co-workers. Life is better for me here @ the Cancer Centre. I no longer watch people dying on the ward & I don’t feel neerly as tired & emotionally drained like before, because I’m no longer exposed to these poor patients who for many, was the last journey. I do really miss caring for them & the closeness & bond that I experienced between them & their families.
I remain truly devoted to cancer care. It has changed my life forever.
Thank you.
Ginette.

Comment on EZ Rock Radiothon Of Hope…Share Your Stories… by Grant Vipond

Grant Vipond — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 09:11:01 +0000

In listening to the “Radiothon of Hope” for the past two days, I too have been inspired to tell my story of our family’s encounter with cancer.
In 1972, my brother oldest brother was diagnosed with Leukemia, and after two years of chemo-therapy, was starting to decline rapidly. It was decided at that time to undergo a bone marrow transplant at a hospital in the United States, because at that time, only Boston and Seattle were doing transplants! It would have been more simple to go to Boston, as our family lived in Montreal, but Seattle had a better success rate! Before leaving for Seattle, it was determined that I was to be the bone marrow donor, since I was the closest match for his needs.
It had been suggested, that I would stay in Seattle for about a week, but because of complications of infection, ended staying three months! We stayed as guests with hospital staff, and was only able to move into a special appartment near the hospital for out of town families, as there had been a death, and therefore a vacancy.
Everyone at the hospital was very supportive to us, and after many months of emotional and physical stress, my brother started to show signs of recovery. Some patients were discharged early, only to have the cancer return, whereas the road to recovery for my brother was very slow.
Cancer brought our family closer together, and made it clear what priorities were really important - one’s health, family and spirituality. With patients dying all around us, having a strong will to beat Leukemia was really important. With the help and support of loved ones, my brother was able to beat Leukemia. There have been complications, mainly as a result of the radiation therapy, but my brother is still here today! He has been cancer free for over 34 years!

Comment on EZ Rock Radiothon Of Hope…Share Your Stories… by Joscelyne Meilleur

Joscelyne Meilleur — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 20:23:18 +0000

Hi my name is Joscelyne Meilleur and I have been listening to the Radiothon of Hope for the past two days and it has been a very hard go for me. Last December 10th, 2007 I lost my eldest sister to ovarian cancer and it was a journey I do not wish on anyone but as you listen to all of the special people on this show it makes you realize that many many people have been touched by this ugly disease and that together we can make a change. I’m still a bit bitter because I still ask myself daily was my sister was not able to beat the odds. She was a very beautiful person inside and out and I’m finding this time of the year very difficult as we began our journey of the end in October of last year. On December 4th, 2004 my sister was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and she did everything she could to try and beat the odds. She went through chemo therapy on at least 3-4 sessions even the last try she was asked to have chemo therapy (a 6 hour ordeal) and the chemo pill and my sister had the hardest time swallowing on a good day let alone the big pill she was required to take (two of them per day) in November of 2006 her oncologist informed her that there was nothing else they could do - he could not tell her how much time she had left it could be 5 days, weeks, months, years but told her to enjoy whatever time was left. At that point my sister and I decided to giver her one of her dreams for her entire family to be together under one room in Florida so Christmas 2006 we were all 15 of use in a beautiful home in Kissemee Florida and those 7 days were another opportunity for our family to have more beautiful memories of our daughter, sister, mother, aunt or sister-in-law.

In October of 2007 was the beginning of her journey in the hospital. On October 22nd Lise was disconnected from TPN and was informed by her doctor that she had anywhere from 7-10 days. The doctor later on informed the family he did not think she would last that long because she had a frozen stomach and that nothing was functioning. On November 2nd, 2007 she was transferred to the Palliative Care where she continued to be in great spirits and we continued to reminisce and have some more awesome days with her. On December 5th, 2007 she informed mom that IT WAS TIME and my mom’s response was time for your bath? and she replied TIME TO LET GO - she told my mom she did not feel like herself and that she smelt like death but did not know how to proceed. Mom went and got Dr. Knight and informed him of Lise’s decision and he responded you want to give up? As he knew she had already on three different occasions came close to not making the night - she responded not giving up - time to let go. Five days later we lost our precious dear Lise and she became our special angel in heaven. The staff on the oncology floor were superb, especially Dr. Knight who was the most precious person and who made this journey a much more comfortable one. Special nurses were Chad, Jenny, Clint, Rhodeine, Karen and Manny they were warm and caring individuals and were very passionate about their career. They knew what to say and when to say it.

My sister Lise Davis was a very positive person from the beginning of her journey with cancer and if I have learned something is that being positive is half the battle and she has shown me that people who are inflicting with career are very special people who have a special gift to take something away from this experience. After listening to the radiothon it means that many others have the same mentality and it is almost refreshing to hear how they battled their way.

Comment on EZ Rock Radiothon Of Hope…Share Your Stories… by Karen Dumoulin

Karen Dumoulin — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 15:17:30 +0000

Listening to the Radiothon of Hope, I am reliving the traumatic experience that our family went through ten years ago. Our son Marc was diagnosed with Leukemia at the age of 16. This was like running into a brick wall at full speed with all the wind knocked out of you and being unable to breathe. It was too unbelievable. Marc was such a robust healthy boy. He participated in all the high school sports, and in particular he was a wrestler. He had just returned from a Canada Wide Wrestling Championship where he had won a silver medal when he was diagnosed. This couldn’t be happening to him.

When my husband had to tell Marc’s two brothers about the diagnosis, Marc commented that he hoped his dad used the word “leukemia” and not “cancer” because cancer is such a scary word with too many negative connotations. Marc was fortunate to be able to be treated in Sudbury and did not have to go to Toronto as a child patient because he had passed his 16th birthday. We were very happy with the treatment he received both while he was staying at the hospital and afterwards at the Northeastern Cancer Treatment Center when his treatments were less frequent. For the next three years Marc had regular appointments and treatments and was always met with a smile from the volunteers and the staff. They all knew him by name and treated him like one of the family. It was never a chore or a negative thing to go there. We can’t say enough good things about the Cancer Center.

After Marc graduated from College, and was beginning his career, he always made sure that he wasn’t scheduled to work on a Friday, because that was the day that he volunteered at the Cancer Center . It was his turn to be the welcoming face and helpful volunteer. We were very proud of him for doing this.

Marc has since moved to Ottawa and is still in remission. We owe a lot to the Northeastern Ontario Cancer Center. It does feel good to be able to share our story.

Karen Dumoulin

Comment on EZ Rock Radiothon Of Hope…Share Your Stories… by Claude Giroux

Claude Giroux — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 05:11:02 +0000

November 5, 2008
Dear Gary and Rich,
I spent a good part of the day listening to countless stories that people shared for the benefit of the Marathon of Hope. As I listened to the many stories, I couldn’t help but to recall the experience that my family and I shared, so many years ago.
My name is Claude Giroux and I thought I might share our story for the benefit of other families.
My wife Nicole, my daughter Nathalie and I have long since grieved the passing of our beloved Serge.
Serge passed away at the age of 16 at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, in Ottawa, on January 30, 2002. We miss him dearly and we know that he would want us share his story.
Serge grew up to be a strong, active and healthy child. Aside from the normal childhood ailments, Serge was seldom ill. He was a curious, imaginative child who had an insatiable appetite for learning. He had a wonderful sense of humour, and a tremendous zest for life. He faced every new challenge as an adventures and enjoyed life to the fullest. His incredible never ending smile was his best attribute.
We were a perfect family and then, the unspeakable happened and we found ourselves having to deal with the harsh reality of childhood cancer. Our nightmare began when we were told Serge had ostegenic sarcoma, the same cancer as Terry Fox.
I consider myself a strong individual but when the doctor confirmed the diagnosis of cancer, my knees buckled and I became extremely pale. The doctor had to sit me down to prevent me from hyperventilating. Serge was the calm one; he simply smiled in his attempts to comfort me and said “its OK dad, everything is going to be alright”.
Our family life would never be the same again. Nicole was forced to take a long-term leave of absence from her job. I couldn’t concentrate at work, most of the time. Fortunately, my employer was sympathetic and I was granted extended periods of paid leave during Serge’s treatments.
When children are diagnosed with Cancer in Northern Ontario they are usually referred to Toronto Sick Kids or CHEO, in Ottawa. While in Ottawa we were fortunate enough to become residents of the Ronald Macdonald House. This wonderful house became our home away from home for almost two years.
Serge had to give up school, his friends, his activities and we all had to give up the normal family life we so enjoyed. It was quite difficult for Nicole, Nathalie and I to stand helpless, while Serge underwent the countless rounds of chemotherapy, the endless needles, the surgeries, x-rays and scans, knowing there was nothing we could do, except be there for him.
Through it all Serge was a real trooper. He took it all in and still managed to keep smiling. He never stopped dreaming and he never gave up the fight. He lived everyday as though it was his last.
As a family who has experienced the devastation of childhood cancer, we can attest to the importance of the Radiothon of Hope.
Our only saving grace throughout this whole ordeal was the Cancer Treatment Centre in Sudbury. Serge understood full well the importance of having such a world class facility in our community. He looked forward to his visits at the Centre because it meant we could come home for short periods of time, between treatments. The doctors and the oncology nurses were always available and ready to provide assistance when needed.
We were indeed fortunate, as the Centre provided us with a measure of stability and a sense of normalcy. Despite the trappings of his disease Serge always reminded us how lucky we were, to be able to come home.
The care and compassion provided by staff at the Centre always made coming home a special event. The staff were always there for us, during the good times and the bad. They took good care of us and they always found a way to cheer us up when we needed it the most.
The staff at the Cancer Treatment Centre play such a vital role in the healing of the children in their care. They work hand in hand with hospital staff at CHEO, in insuring that children always have reasons to smile. They helped to make our devastating reality, at least bearable and we always had someone to turn to, when we needed a shoulder to cry on.
We often recall the special moments we shared with Serge at the Cancer Treatment Centre. The bonds of friendship we forged with staff, volunteers and other families will always remain dear in our hearts.
We invite you to share our story so that others will join in the many fund raising activities that support the many families of the Cancer Treatment Centre.
On behalf of our family I say thank you EZ Rock for all that you do to make The Cancer Treatment Centre, the best that it can be.
Sincerely,
Nicole, Nathalie and Claude Giroux

Comment on EZ Rock Radiothon Of Hope…Share Your Stories… by Brigitte Tessier

Brigitte Tessier — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 03:42:39 +0000

Cancer all of us, or it will eventually.
My father, age 62, healthy his whole life, fit and active, now suffers from cancer, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer less then 6 months ago. I can’t believe my dad had cancer- last December my only sibling, my parents only son was killed in a car accident, my dad did not know then he had cancer, but he is under SO much stress, and grief, the cancer caught up to him quick- We all got so sad of his news, how can this happen to us (again), the health support system is not the greatest, here in Ontario, I wish he would get treatment sooner and be provided more support from the cancer clinic. My dad is living one week and a time, we have to be positive- so many live cancer free, others battle it, others are not so lucky-
Brigitte