This year I am hosting Staches & Stones Movember Fundraising Bonspiel!
This event is in honour of my Dad, Blain.
My dad was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2001 when I was 10 years old. When faced with treatment options, he was given a choice: quality of life, or quantity. With three young children at home, he chose quantity so he could be around to watch us grow — a sacrifice none of us fully understood at the time.
I have so many beautiful memories of my dad — his laugh, his humour, the way he lit up a room — but many are framed by his illness; hospital trips, hair loss, exhaustion, the ache of wanting to join in, but being unable to. And still… he showed up for us. He found moments to make us laugh, even through pain.
In late 2023, after 22 years of fighting, his cancer metastasized to his bones — like many men with prostate cancer. Once again, he had to choose — more treatment, or peace.
This time, our family stood behind his choice for comfort and dignity. We spent those final months healing, reminiscing, and loving him without the shadow of pain in the way. He passed peacefully at home April 4, 2024 through MAID, surrounded by love.
Movember is deeply personal to me. I’m raising funds for the men I love — my brother, my partner, and now my son — who my dad missed meeting by just two months. This loss is what moves me to act — so fewer families have to experience the same goodbye.