If you ask Michele Brissette to name the greatest benefit she got from joining Wellspring, she lights up with her answer.
“Wellspring has made a huge difference in my life and the biggest being a positive impact on my depression. I’ve struggled with depression for many years and taking programs at Wellspring has been critical in alleviating it. Getting a cancer diagnosis on top of my other health challenges… who knows where depression would have taken me without Wellspring,” said Michele.
Michele was an IT project manager in her early forties when extreme abdominal pain landed her in the ER in need of emergency surgery.
“They discovered an 11-centimetre mass that turned out to be an endometrial cyst. The surgery took months and months to recover from, and I never really got my strength and balance back. Years later, I still suffer with chronic pain as a result of it,” she said.
After that life changing health ordeal, Michele found herself up on disability, struggling to find her way forward, plagued by pain and a depressive outlook.
Then in spring of 2023, her life took another downward turn.
“I found a lump in my breast that ended up being cancer. While I was visiting the Tom Baker Centre I learned about Wellspring, and I was actually touring Wellspring when I got an email alert to say test results showed that the cancer was metastatic – it had spread to my spine and ribs,” said Michele. “I was able to join a support group that was meeting right there that day.”
In the days that followed, Michele began targeted oral therapy for the cancer, and dove into programs at Wellspring. To her astonishment, the heaviness that overshadowed so many years of her life, began lifting.
“I took all kinds of art programs, such as watercolour and Zentangle, I loved them all! I’ve also done lots of physical classes such as yoga, tai chi and some seasonal programs like snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, cycling, and golf – fun stuff that gets you moving and out with other people,” she said.
Michele has also engaged in what she calls, “emotional work,” taking several levels of Healing Journey and learning to be calm, attentive and present in Wellspring’s mindfulness programs.
“I’ve learned so much and met so many good people. Having something to go to every day has really made a huge difference in my life,” she said, adding, “The instructional quality at Wellspring is bar none. All the program leaders are warm, welcoming and so knowledgeable – I continue to be pleasantly amazed by them.”
Today, moving through life with greater ease and enjoyment, Michele says she has Wellspring to thank.
“Wellspring has helped with my depression and given me the tools to deal with cancer; or in my case, live with cancer, since I’m told what I have is chronic and incurable. Right now, the meds are working wonders, my tumour has shrunk by almost half, and the metastases are barely registering on the CT scans. Things are looking good, so I just keep going to Wellspring, fingers crossed, and stay the course.”
A request to give
“I really do want to encourage donors to give, because without donors we wouldn’t have this. Wellspring is such a safe haven for people with cancer – such a valuable resource. It provides so much solace and not just in the form of fun things like arts and crafts, but informative programs like Brain Fog, and emotional and spiritual programs like Healing Journey. It is all so badly needed. I know there are lots of worthy causes to donate to but if you ask me, Wellspring is way up there.” – Michele Brissette
