Supporting Leah Lollipop

Where do I begin? Leah Lollipop. Monkey Business Gymnastics? If that name rings a bell, you already know what I'm about to say. I'm gonna get sappy, but I would like to do something for someone that has quite literally spent her life being the most amazing teacher/leader/mentor I've ever seen. Covid kicked us in the ass, some more then others. Including Leah Lollipop's one of a kind mobile gymnastic business. She started her business from the ground up, making a name for herself through whatever came her way. She dedicated her career to teaching kids not only gymnastics, but respect, discipline, and courage. Building a business and travelling throughout BC while also single parenting my sister and I. She taught from parent and tot (1-2 years old) to teen, adult and special needs. I could go on forever and I know so many others could too. The name Leah Lollipop is and forever will be a legend. During the time of Covid hitting, her sister (my aunty) had been diagnosed with Alzhiemers disease and was at point where living on her own was unsafe. My mom being out of work and having the time to be there for her sister, took on the role of the primary caregiver of my Aunty Jo. I work in healthcare, and have seen the typical caregiving role. But the way my mom cared for JoJo was absolutely unreal. The bond they had, memories they shared, was absolutely beautiful, including some hissy fits here and there when it was shower time Alzhiemers is a very progressive disease, and the care needed for everyday living was absolutely exhausting. My sister Rachelle and I were doing everything we could to support my mom and Jojo, it's not an easy process, but my mom is known for her resilience and strength and she gave Jo something that we will never forget. During that time, my mom started to slowly show signs of illness. Unsure at first, we assumed it was caregivers burnout. It was a fulltime job, and with the shortage of healthcare workers, even with the community support care visits we had for Jo (1x a week for 3 hours for mom to go and run errands) got cancelled as they didn't have the staff. I work fulltime in Victoria and would come on my days off, my sister would also do the same. One of the things with healthcare is you can't take care of others if you can't take care of yourself. It was heartbreaking each day seeing the toll it was taking on us all, but the love Jojo gave us just made us never want to stop. My moms weight is what really started us to worry. She wasn't able to swallow certain foods, and she had other symptoms that what started out small eventually became a bigger problem. I came down from Victoria to watch Jojo as my mom went for a scope in the hospital to figure out what was causing these issues. As I was waiting, I was counting the minutes, and started to soon realize it was too long and something was wrong. That's when I got the call- they found the problem. A tumour- most likely cancerous. My heart dropped and sank, and I completely broke down. Jojo started consoling me, asking me what was wrong and it broke my heart even more. We knew that the transition for Jojo was coming soon, meaning a fulltime care facility. Anyone in that position knows how hard it is to give up a loved one, it almost feels like failure. Navigating those emotions was one thing, but knowing my moms lengthy healthcare journey of her own was another. We had to put my mom first, my sister and I were unable to care for JoJo aswell as work/take care of mom. Jojo is happily adjusting to new life in Qualicum beach. It was a rocky road to get her there, but even in her condition my mom went above and beyond to make sure everything went smoothly. My mom has been staying with me and my amazing partner Brook (who is an angel and blessing in our lives) in Victoria, doing the battle of chemotherapy and radiation to shrink that bad little tumour. As if Cancer wasn't bad enough, the tumour was in such a weird spot in the esophagus, it wasn't allowing any food to pass down, slowly just growing and cutting off access. Due to the extreme weight loss, my mom has been on a feeding tube since her diagnosis in February. Anyone who knows her knows how much of a foodie she was! She hasn't been able to eat for months, something we take for granted everyday!! Not only has this been an extreme physical journey, but emotionally and mentally has taken quite a toll on my mom. It's not easy, it's an adjustment... and she has been such a strong independent woman our entire lives, taking a step back was a huge thing for her. Flash forward to now, her surgery is scheduled next week here in Victoria. They will remove most of her esophagus, and it will be a lengthy recovery time. So, what I ask is we give back to such an amazing part of so many of our lives. Giving back the strength, love and support she has given to so many over the years. Physical healing takes time, and that also takes financial security. I cant fix my mom, but I can ease atleast one burden by reaching out to our loved friends and family to help us recover our Leah Lollipop!!!! Thanks for the long read friends. I am kind of bias, but I know so many people agree that Leah is truly one of a kind ❤️❤️❤️