I'm not a hero but my Auntie Pat is. She is a mummy - to Kimmy| Chrissy| Angie and Sean. She's also a grand-mummy. But her heroism isn't because of what she has been through with or done for her kids (although that could qualify her too). She's a hero because of what she did for MY mummy. Auntie Pat is my mum's best friend. They met as young women; went on cross-border shopping trips together| were each others' bridesmaids and stayed in touch for a lifetime even though Pat & Uncle Dave moved to Alberta then Australia| back to Alberta| and on and on. In October of 1993| when I was 26 and my sister was 22| our mum was diagnosed with terminal cancer. My sister called Uncle Dave at their house in Jakarta (as far from Scarborough as you can possibly get without leaving the planet) to tell him the bad news - and he got Auntie Pat on the next flight back to Toronto. Pat moved in to my parents' house and helped my sister| dad and me to take care of mum. She was there to do (as she put it) "all the things no child should have to do for their parent". Because Pat was there to help us| mum didn't have to go into hospital. Pat being there meant that mum could stay at home until the very end. She gave my mum the best gifts anyone could ever give - her love and her time. She gave my sister and me a shoulder to cry on| unending support| knitting lessons| comic relief and liberal doses of medicinal rye. She never waivered| never faltered and in January| when it was all over - she went home again. Because Pat came| my sister and I were able to spend far more time with our mum than if she had been in a hospital and for that she will always be our hero.
-M in Scarborough| ON
I am a Heroic Mummy. I gave birth to healthy twins(boy/girl) in August of 2000. When my daughter Olivia was six months old| she had a seizure. After a week of tests at our hospital she was transferred to Sick Kids (our second home). My beautiful princess was diagnosed with a very rare metabolic disorder called Glutaric Acidemia Type 1. My world collapsed. My daughter is 7 now and is medically fragile and dependant for all needs. My heart breaks for her when I look at her beautiful face. She smiles at me and all I think about is what I would give to hear her say a word to me or see her playing with her siblings or eating by herself without relying on her g-tube that she is totally dependant on. It is really hard on us as a family especially when she is admitted at Sick Kids. It is both phsically and mentally exhausting. We find the strength to go on and be brave for our little ones until they are well enough to come home. But these are things that us mummies do. We would die for our children and we are here to protect them as they are helpless. They are our world.
-Angela in Mississauga| ON
As a mother| and as a photographer| I know all too well how important it is to capture the memories of your children in images. As a photographer| I feel I was also given my talent in order to assist others| and it is for this reason that I also volunteer my time as the regional coordinator and volunteer photographer for the charitable organization called "Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep". With this organization| I provide complementary photography sessions| DVD slideshows| and print albums from our session's images to families of newborn children who are not going to survive. For me| knowing that the images that I capture will be some of the only| if not THE only images that a family will ever have to remember their precious child is a gift to me. Knowing that I can use my talents in a way that helps families and feeds my soul is so very important to me.
-Heather in Toronto| ON
My heroic mummy story isn't about me; it's about my step-mummy. She ended up with an incredibly angry teen on her doorstep who proceeded to treat her like dirt; dirt who needed to pay for all the wrongs done by others. In short| my heroic step-mum braved some incredibly difficult days with me and because she never gave up and believed in me...she made me believe in myself. I had her for almost 7 years and I watched her and nursed her while she was terminally ill with lung cancer and I was beside her when she died. She made me care| and because of her lesson in how to be a REAL mummy| I'm being one for my kids.
-Linda in Port Alberni| B.C.
I would present this not to a Mummy| but to a Granddaddy & Grandma...(not that Maddie's parents don't deserve it either)!. Their granddaughter Maddie went through cancer in her brain and was the first to survive (she is now in the Medical textbooks). They were all there for her| one day at a time| and thank god she is now home; relearning the 9 months of her life she missed| but is the apple of her grandpa's eye (my boss).
-Catherine in Mississauga| ON
I'm not used to telling people how wonderful I am. I'm quite shy and don't enjoy crowds| but that beautiful necklace inspired me to share my story. My 3 year old daughter has neuroblastoma. It's a cancer with a very low cure rate. She is doing well| but in the last 18 months| our lives have been turned upside-down. My older daughter wanted to help her little sister| so she started fundraising for neuroblastoma research. Aside from dealing with a child with a serious illness and hospital visits| I've helped organize fundraisers and spoken publicly about the disease. I've knitted thousands of bracelets| networked with other families and met countless people. I also keep a blog that tells the story of my girls: http://www.writegal.blogspot.com/. The most important thing I've learned| dealing with this disease| this terrible blessing| is this: Cherish time with the people you love and tell them every day how you feel.
-Faye in Inverary| ON
After years of a healthy lifestyle and being an avid 10 km a day runner| you could've knocked me over with a breath on the Friday before Thanksgiving '03 when the Dr. said; "You have breast cancer." I'd enjoyed being a mom to my two kids - Avery 11 at the time and Heyden just 7 yrs. My worst nightmare was always (and still is) anything happening to them. Well| happen it did. Cancer happens to the whole family not just the one going through treatment. I'm grateful it was me and didn't have to suffer what some moms have to watching their children deal with illness. In the midst of losing my long| curly hair| I cut it all off and my daughter and I made braids that I sewed to my bandana. This desperate act of recycling I shared with her planted a seed deep down that would blossom later. I wore that bandana and it made me feel better knowing it was my own hair hanging down on my shoulders| not a wig. My kids couldn't see me without something on my head as it scared them| it made them think I was really sick. How awfully hard it all must've been for them. So in my year after treatment| I approached my sewing teacher with an idea to design and make fashion and home accessories from the discard pile of life. We started Echoes in the Attic making handbags from recycled| vintage & remnant materials and 2 years later we're now supplying over 40 stores across Canada. My kids have watched me go from health to rock bottom| not knowing if they'd be able to keep their mom or not| but by God's grace and the help of my kids and husband| I'm 4 years from diagnosis and an eco-crazed mom doing a good thing for the earth| myself and my yummy kids and their future.. . LIVE ON PURPOSE!
-Laura in Bradford| ON
Who says a Boys Scout leader must be a man??? When my sons moved up from Cub Scouts to the to the Boy Scout level| we found out that there was a shortage of fathers available to help with the troop. Knowing that I had extensive camping and scouting skills| they approached me and invited me to join as an Assistant Scoutmaster. After having a meeting with the parents| I decided it would be fun and challenging. I ended up taking on the position for the next 6 years and we ended up with 12 of the boys actually making it to the rank of Eagle Scout (and on their own I must add -- we believed THEY had to earn it to know what was expected of them). I spent many nights freezing in the woods and trudging through trails| constantly learning new things right along with them as well as teaching them some of my skills. This troop won all kinds of competion awards from cooking to trial buiding. They were often given compliments of exemplarary behavior when out in public and invited back. It took countless hours to whip them into shape| but the hard work paid off because I have seen them grown into very fine young men and parents.
-CarolAnn in Croydon| PA
My neighbor Patricia is a heroic Mom! She reads to all the kids| and takes them for outings when other mothers have to work. She even helps them with their homework. She is a stay at home teacher by profession and dearly loves all the kids in the neighborhood. I would even call her a mentor to these kids since she is such a good example and she knows what giving is all about and what does she get in return? Some very happy kids!
-Charlene in Spotsylvania| VA
My husband Bryan and I had always dreamed about having a family even before we got married| but health problems started to arise and I went for various surgeries to figure out what was wrong with me. Eventually it came back endometerosis and PCOS; so our next step was to try going on a drug called Clomid| while after trying that for 1 year| nothing worked. The doctor said maybe it's time we move on to our next step which was IVF in Toronto - which meant regular visits to the big city| and my husband Bryan giving me needles with tons of hormones that made you feel anything but pleasant let me tell you. So we did 2 rounds of IVF and the last round the doctors and nurses were so determined we were going to have twins because they have pictures of the eggs like an ultrasound picture and mine had done well| and had done a uterus taking a piece out so could attach better. Awaiting a phone call from TCART to tell me great news of Joy| but all of sudden "We're very sorry Jenna| we will have to try again the eggs did not take"... I hang the phone up; and began to cry tears of sadness. So I pulled it together and we attempted to try again of daily doses of hormones and feelings of depression| I never gave up hope! A few weeks later ring ring; I anxiously run to the phone hoping and praying that this time it worked.. . "Hello I say were sorry Jenna. . but the goods news is you have 3 frozen eggs still and we can try again." I said thank-you and hung the phone up...tears just rolling down my face I had always dreamed of life with children in it. I was adopted and had always wanted to go through the pregnancy stages. So my husband Bryan and I talked and we said maybe this is a sign| I was adopted and maybe we are meant to do the same. So we proceed to calling adoption agency close to home and proceed with meeting with them| doing the paper work| homestudy and had just gotten approved. We were so excited we stayed strong like a rock and knew one way or another we would have the family we have always believed in. We were to get a newborn from the hospital - how exciting! Then I started to feel very tired and like I had a flu| so went to the doctor and he said any chance you are pregnant - I looked at him and said no way. So did a pregnancy check as regular check up and within 1 minute he comes back in the room and says you are pregnant. We could not believe this was true - even had a second opinion. On January 1 2007. . our miracle Boy Bryson Jayden Pilon was born and doctors pretty much said my chance of conceiving were very low if at all. And now look - I am awaiting the arrival of a beautiful baby girl coming this March 2008. My biggest advice is never give up hope- it is the hope and belief that will pull us through Heroic times.. . . . Thank-you for reading my story!
-Jenna in Cambridge| ON
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