Move for Mik - Fundraiser for Mikaela Barnes

Hello friends! We are Madeline & Andrea, known to Mikaela Barnes as Maddie & AC. To know Mikaela is to love her, and we consider ourselves extremely fortunate to call her our dear friend.

As many of you know, Mikaela has been on a journey with cancer since her initial diagnosis in 2021. In support of her marathon of treatment, we are running 42.2km on May 4th at the Vancouver BMO Marathon as part of a fundraising campaign to help ease the financial burden of Mikaela’s ongoing treatment. You heard that right, 42.2km!!! And we aren’t the only ones! We already have a whole team joining us, including Mikaela’s parents, who will be running a half marathon on the big day as well, making it even more special ❤️

Read on to learn more about her story and how you can help! (& get involved!)

Mikaela’s Story:

For as long as we have known Mikaela, she has embodied what it meant to live life to the fullest, challenge her personal limits, and prioritize her health and wellness while sharing that passion with others.

In 2021, just 4 days before Mikaela and Stephen’s wedding, Mikaela faced an unimaginable diagnosis: stage 2b/c rectal cancer. Not ones to let this news impact their wedding weekend, Mikaela and Stephen put it aside while they celebrated their love with their family and friends. Reality set in on Monday, the day after their wedding, when Mikaela awoke to multiple missed calls from various specialists at BC Cancer Centre. Since then, her journey with cancer has had its ups and downs.

True to her nature, Mikaela has faced her diagnosis with relentless courage and unyielding determination. Since that Monday in July 2021, she has undergone fertility preservation therapy (egg harvesting), 5 weeks (25 rounds) of pelvic radiation, 30+ rounds of chemo, and two major abdominal surgeries.

Throughout it all, she has listened to her body, prioritizing recovery in whatever form it takes. Some days, recovery means rest, meditation, acupuncture, and walks with her beloved golden retriever, Reese. Other days, it means running and training for marathons. During a treatment cycle, Mikaela trained for and ran the 2022 Ottawa Marathon, qualifying for the Boston Marathon in the process. The following year, just seven months after her first major surgery she completed the 2023 Boston Marathon with a personal best of 3:08. Incredible, right?

In the spring of 2024, Mikaela had her second major abdominal surgery to remove recurrent pelvic masses. Just a few months later in August 2024, she received the devastating news that she had metastatic disease—something she had feared since her initial diagnosis. The news was overwhelming, incomprehensible, and heartbreaking. But, as always, Mikaela confronted her fear head-on. She now receives bi-weekly chemotherapy indefinitely, has acupuncture twice a week to mitigate chemotherapy symptoms, prioritizes nutrition, sleeps 8+ hours each night, spends time with her friends and family, and remains resolute in her commitment to doing everything possible to stay healthy.

How can you help?

As Mikaela and Stephen navigate this new chapter of her journey, many people in their lives have been asking how they can help. We want to reach out to their communities, friends, colleagues, classmates, neighbours, and anyone who has been touched by the joy of these two beautiful humans, to help them by providing financial support. We are fundraising to help with the financial burden of the last 4 years and for what is to come. These funds will directly help with the costs of clinical trials and cutting edge treatment options, time off work, travel costs associated with clinical trials, independent medical opinions, ongoing treatment, acupuncture appointments and other allied health services that Mikaela needs to stay well. Or, maybe for the two of them to take a week off work and recharge, go on a trip, a getaway, a day at the spa together.

In a time beyond successful cancer treatment, Mikaela and Stephen also have a dream of becoming parents. As a result of the pelvic radiation she required during the first months of her treatment, Mikaela is no longer able to carry a pregnancy. Mikaela and Stephen have frozen embryos and hope to meet someone willing to be a surrogate to help them fulfill their dream of becoming parents. The surrogacy process will require them to pay out of pocket for many expenses. 

Funds raised through this fundraiser will go directly to Mikaela and Stephen to help cover all the above costs, easing their financial pressures and allowing Mikaela to stay well and focus on her recovery. We will personally be covering the GoFundMe transaction fee of 2.9% so you can be sure that 100% of your donation is going directly to Mikaela and Stephen.

But we don’t want to stop there. Inspired by Mikaela's passion for wellness and movement in any form, we’re inviting everyone to join us for "Move for Mik" on May 4th, 2025! Whether by running, walking, cycling, or simply moving in whatever way you can, whether you’re near or far, we hope you’ll participate virtually or in person to raise awareness and donations to help Mikaela and Stephen throughout their journey.

Follow us on instagram @moveformik to stay updated on fundraising goals, our marathon training progress, and to be inspired by a community of people prioritizing movement like Mikaela has inspired so many of us to do.

Lastly, please share this campaign within all your communities, big and small! Our hope is to show Mikaela and Stephen how much we all love and care for them. Donations of any size help! Let’s get moving! ❤️