Bernice's Fund

Hi there!  My name is Bernice, and my friends are saying I need to tell my story, so here it goes...

I am a 58 year old woman from Corner Brook, Newfoundland, and  living in Lindsay, Ontario with my amazing husband Michael.   I have two grown children, Ashley (Toronto) and Matthew (Calgary).  I lost my 7 year old daughter Catherine in 1992, when we were both hit by a car, while walking on a sidewalk in Scarborough.  The car jumped the curb, and took my little girl away from me.  That day left me injured, and heart broken.

I later met my husband Michael.  We got married in our back yard in Lindsay, with all of our family and friends to celebrate with us.  Last fall, my sister and best friend, Tena, and her daughter Tammy, moved to Lindsay.  We thought we would grow old, and eventually enjoy retirement together.  I also have my niece Renee and her son Christian living around the corner.  And my sister Mary has come to stay with us for a while.

Last February, my life was going so well.  I had started a new job at a well respected company here in Lindsay, and my beautiful daughter Ashley gave me news that she and her partner Carl were expecting.  I was going to be a grandmother!  

So Life was good!  I had a great job, loving family, and a lot of good friends around me.  What more can a person really want in life?

Life was going so great, until the first time I spit up blood.  I felt fine otherwise, but each morning, there was blood on the kleenex.

After a few days, I knew something wasn't right.  The doctor saw something on my x-ray and sent me for an MRI at Ross Memorial Hospital, then sent me to see Dr. Marcus at the Oshawa Hospital.  After more tests, Dr. Marcus broke the news that I have stage 4 lung cancer, which had travelled to my lymph nodes, and my brain had two small tumors.  Dr. Marcus told me that it was inoperable, and referred me on to another team of doctors to start radiation and chemo therapy.

I started the radiation to the chest, then to the brain, and then the chemo began.  Sadly, I had to leave my job before the 3 month probation was up, and I had no benefits to cover the increasing costs of medications.  Every day, I was going to Oshawa, Peterborough, or Toronto for treatment.  Parking costs built up fast.

I was able to get sick benefits through Service Canada for a while, but that has run out.  I am still waiting for Canada Pension Disability to start.

My husband can't come to my appointments, as we need him to work, to cover the regular expenses of living.  So my other family members have been with me for appointments and treatments.

I know we all have this bucket list of things we want to do.  But when you realize that you don't have time to accomplish all of those things, you narrow it down to what means the most....

I want to spend time with my daughter and my son.  I want to enjoy our family barbeque in August with all of the family that will be coming from all over the country. I want to spend time with friends and family.  I want to be able to spend time with my grandson who is due to make is appearnace in October.  I want to be able to spoil him a little bit.  I want to travel one last time to Newfoundland to visit my daughter's grave, and to spend a bit of time with my sisters who can't travel. 

Please help me make these final wishes come true.  I appreciate any help that you can offer.

Thank you, and God Bless you.

Bernie FitzGerald-Anthony