Fundraisers assist mom’s cancer fight

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 16/12/2018 (1956 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A Steinbach couple battling a cancer diagnosis while raising four young children say they’re “floored” by the donations and support flowing in during their family’s hardest chapter.

“It’s overwhelming how much help we’ve received,” said Jordan Dueck in an interview Monday.

Dueck’s wife, Ashleigh, was diagnosed with Stage 4 colorectal cancer in October, less than eight months after she gave birth to Skandar, the couple’s first boy. Doctors have said the cancer is also affecting Ashleigh’s kidney and lymph nodes.

“I can’t imagine what it would be like doing this alone. It would be torture, it would be awful. We’re infinitely indebted to our community,” said Dueck, speaking on behalf of the family, which includes daughters Nienna, Eveah, and Cressida.

Ashleigh, 35, began an “aggressive” chemotherapy regimen on Nov. 17 that is expected to span four to six months. The family is still adjusting to the new and difficult routine of treatments, which are administered over two days every other week.

“The first week of chemotherapy was borderline disastrous. I just did not expect it to be as rough as it was,” Dueck said.

That made it all the more encouraging to see Ashleigh regain her energy as the side effects subsided, he added.

“We’ll continue this way and hope for the best.”

Ashleigh continues to maintain a blog where she’s written of the added challenges of caring for a newborn while undergoing cancer treatments, such as being unable to breastfeed.

When the treatment plan concludes, scans will determine whether surgery is needed. Specialists have said a difficult road is ahead, but also offered reasons to be hopeful.

“They’re dealing with someone who is young and who is strong,” Dueck said.

In the meantime, the couple’s family and friends have rallied, setting up a GoFundMe webpage that has nearly reached its $20,000 goal, and planning three creative fundraiser events.

The first, held at Old Church Bakery on Dec. 2, raised $3,500 by selling more than 300 pizzas, said bakery co-owner Holly Sobering.

Two upcoming events hope to add to that total. Dueck, a residential and commercial painter by trade, said funds collected help him devote more time to caregiving and parenting.

A coffeehouse benefit concert is being planned for Feb. 9 at Neufeld Garage in Randolph. Ticket details will be released in the new year, organizers said.

Supporters are also being asked to lace up their running shoes and register (signup.com/go/CdUrWqZ) for the Longest Night Run on Dec. 21. The free overnight “virtual relay” allows entrants to select a 30-minute interval and run or walk wherever they live. Donations through GoFundMe are encouraged.

In Steinbach, runners can gather in front of Coffee Culture at 8 a.m. on Dec. 22 to complete the final sunrise leg together.

Dueck said the symbolism of preserving through the longest, darkest night of the year isn’t lost on his family, which is still grappling with shock and disbelief in the wake of Ashleigh’s diagnosis.

“All we know is that we both resolve to push through it without trying to gloss it over or to deny the reality and the pain and the darkness,” he said.