Support Justine Gravel in her Fight Against Leukemia

*Please scroll down for January 26 update (below original details)*

Our family is sharing news, with shock and with great hope for healing, that our beautiful daughter and sister Justine Gravel has received a sudden diagnosis of Acute Myeloid Leukemia - an aggressive and life-threatening blood and bone marrow cancer. On May 14th, Justine was admitted to Toronto's Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, where an urgent treatment plan to save her life is underway.

Justine is currently in a 30-day "induction phase" chemotherapy treatment, which involves 7 days of 24/7 IV chemotherapy, followed by daily oral chemotherapy, blood and platelet transfusions, and many other medications. The goal of the induction phase is to reduce the leukemia cells present in her blood and bone marrow. After this phase, Justine will begin the “consolidation phase". This involves months of additional chemotherapy and treatments that will be required before she can receive a necessary stem cell or bone marrow transplant. Once a donor has been identified, Justine will spend several weeks in-hospital to receive her transplant, followed by months of treatment to ensure her body does not reject the transplant.

It has been made clear to our family that Justine faces a long road ahead and the fight of her life. This is a very complex form of leukemia and a long-term cancer journey. We know that Justine will have months of in-patient stays and outpatient appointments at Princess Margaret. Her family is committed to what this requires in terms of travel, with the upcoming months spent in Toronto to support Justine. Our mother, Wendy Fagan - who has herself just recovered from her second breast cancer journey - flew from her home in B.C. to Toronto in May, and will need to remain there as Justine's primary caregiver throughout her treatment and long-term recovery. This involves maintaining Justine's apartment for extensive stays, along with providing her what she will require for the months ahead. This is a large need, and we are hopeful that many caring supporters together will help us meet the financial challenges of this difficult diagnosis.

We know that Justine will be unable to work for at least a year, and like many young creative freelance workers in Toronto, the benefits available to her through this extended time off work are limited. We humbly ask you to consider donating to help Justine - our cherished daughter, sister and friend - withstand the rigours of this journey, knowing finances aren’t the next emergency she has to face as she fights this disease.

Many of you may know Justine through her work as a hairstylist in the Toronto film industry. She is adored by her colleagues and clients, and her vibrant presence will be missed on set over the next year. For those of you who may not know Justine personally, she is an extraordinarily resilient person with the biggest heart, and someone who has overcome much in her young life. She moved to Toronto 6 years ago to pursue her dream of working in film and TV, living alone far from family with the loving companionship of her two cats, Big and Little. She is uniquely creative, hilarious, and fiercely loyal to the people she has connected with, including those she's only just met. And when Justine loves, she loves with everything she has. She pulls you into her orbit and infuses life with beautiful colour, including a healthy dose of unfiltered authenticity. She is beloved by her parents (Wendy and Louis), siblings (Alexa, Luc, Ben and Sean), and step-parents (Peter and Jennifer).

We have to highlight how grateful we are for the outstanding team at Princess Margaret, and specifically the doctors and nurses of the 14th floor, who have worked tirelessly to care for Justine through the scariest and most vulnerable time of her life. Their dedication moves us beyond measure.

For those of you who are able to assist Justine through this platform, we hope we have conveyed how deeply appreciated your contribution is. Funds raised will be used to support Justine's medical-related expenses, living expenses, and extra costs borne by Justine's caregivers and family. We know you are holding Justine in your hearts with love and hope for a full recovery. We sincerely thank each of you for your support xo