In the years leading up to 2020, all was right in Cindy See’s world; she was married to her best friend, her daughter and two sons had left home and were thriving on their own, and she enjoyed being social, independent, and busy with work. But in 2020, Cindy discovered a mass in her abdomen, and in an instant, the ground beneath her shifted. A diagnosis of ovarian cancer upended her sure-footedness.
“I was raised on a farm, and on the farm, you just pushed through things; it didn’t matter if there was mud or obstacles in your way, you did what you had to do,” said Cindy. “But when you have cancer, and it’s during Covid, it’s pretty hard to push through with no one to talk to — no connection with the world. I was not doing good. I became deeply depressed.”
Finding cancer-related support beyond her medical care was already challenging in Red Deer. When the pandemic shifted many services online, connecting with the right resources became even harder. And although Cindy learned about Wellspring, she didn’t feel she had the computer skills to access programs that were newly launched online.
So, for the next three years, Cindy endured an excruciating cancer journey that was anything but manageable. Beginning with a surgery that she had to go through alone due to Covid protocols, Cindy experienced numerous setbacks, complications and chemotherapy side effects, including heart issues, fragile bones, a hernia, carpal tunnel syndrome, and most critical of all, a pulmonary embolism.
When she finally found her way back to a place of reasonable stability, Cindy found the community and camaraderie she longed for when, in 2023, Wellspring launched its first in-person program, Cancer Connect, in Red Deer.
“Cancer Connect really changed my world. I was so deeply depressed after having cancer in the middle of Covid, I needed to communicate with others, to see their faces and connect with them. I started going to the meetings with a woman I met, and we would sit together and struggle together, but it was a good struggle, because everyone there was struggling and everyone understood,” she said. “When you lose your job, your identity, your purpose, it gets really dark. But to be in a room and communicate with other people really brings the light back. I started to feel a breakthrough.”
It was at Cancer Connect that Cindy learned more about Wellspring’s online programs, and she decided to brave her technical insecurities and look into what other programs she could benefit from.
“Trying to figure out the online part with my limited computer skills was confusing and frustrating. So, one day I called the Wellspring number and the man who answered said, “Don’t worry, I’ll help you”,” said Cindy. “He was the kindest, most patient person — he took so much time with me, and he didn’t make me feel bad for not knowing what I was doing. He explained where to go and how to look at programs, and he asked me questions about things I’m interested in. I told him I’ve been doing nothing but colouring for three years, and he said he thought I might like to try an art program called Zentangle. He helped me enrol, and that was the beginning of a whole new world for me.”
In the coming months, Cindy immersed herself in a soothing bubble of creativity, using mindful strokes and patterns to create beautiful pictures.
“The impact was astounding! My world exploded! Zentangle was my gateway to happiness,” she said.
Next, Cindy discovered Wellspring’s Watercolour program, and with creativity pulsing through her, she began combining the two styles and began making her own genre of art.
“I felt like I found my purpose. I loved having something to show my husband when he came home from work,” she said. “I made a room in my house just for me and my art, and it’s calm and beautiful and full of things that make me happy. I’m in there every day, and even some nights, I go in there and draw for a bit before bed.”
Now able to navigate programs online, Cindy began exploring other Wellspring offerings.
“I thoroughly enjoy taking programs online. And there are lots! I’ve taken many, and I have to say they’ve all been beneficial to me. The instructors are so helpful, so kind, and so patient, and the camaraderie among the people is amazing. You just feel good during the classes and after,” she said.
While art is her favourite, Cindy also mentions the benefits of programs specifically designed to offer tools for helping manage cancer.
“I took four levels of Healing Journey, and I learned a lot about trying to get through cancer. It taught me things to do to help settle myself for sleep, and ways to calm myself and manage stress around appointments,” she said. “And being in a place, seeing and hearing from other people going through cancer, I felt like, I’m not going crazy, I’m going through cancer, and I’m doing the best I can. I can’t tell you what a relief that was,” she said.
In 2026 when Wellspring launched two more in-person programs in Red Deer, Compass for the Caregiver and yoga, Cindy decided to give yoga a try.
“I was never a yoga person before, and now my mat is sitting by the door, just waiting for the next session to start,” she exclaimed. “Through yoga, I’ve learned these breathing exercises, and at night, if I can’t get to sleep, or I wake up in the middle of the night, I do those breathing exercises, and it puts me to sleep. I have been sleeping so much better since I started yoga, and it’s thanks to those breathing exercises.”
In 2026, Cindy went off all her cancer medications, and while technically she is now considered free of cancer, she did have genetic testing and was found to have lynch syndrome, a genetic condition that raises the risk of many types of cancers. Also, she is unable to work due to numerous ongoing health issues related to her surgeries and treatment.
“You have no idea how much it impacted me; losing my identity, my purpose, my income, it was huge. That’s why I am so grateful to Wellspring — it gives me that purpose, new things to learn, connection — it’s a community that supports me where I’m at,” she said. “And, I would not be able to afford art classes, or yoga classes, or any of the programs Wellspring offers, so the fact that it’s all free is phenomenal.”
Going forward, Cindy takes life like the farmgirl-turned-artist she is: one obstacle at a time, with a paintbrush in hand.
“My life has changed dramatically from cancer; there’s no doubt about that, but the dark part of cancer led me to the light, and that light comes from Wellspring. Through those dark times, I had programs to look forward to, and that’s what got me through. Wellspring is an amazing organization. When I connect with the people at Wellspring, I feel that it’s okay. That I’ll be okay.”