Jane’s world shifted on October 2, 2018, when she was diagnosed with breast cancer.
Surgery followed just weeks later, with radiation beginning in early 2019. Suddenly, she was navigating a whirlwind of appointments and emotions, while also supporting her two teenage sons and doing her best to sustain her business.
Healing didn’t end when medical treatment did.
“The doctors and medical teams do everything they can,” Jane says. “Once that part is over, you are not done healing. That’s where Wellspring comes in.”
Jane had lived in Oakville for years and often drove past the Wellspring centre without quite knowing what happened inside. It wasn’t until a neighbour gently encouraged her, and literally walked her through the door, that Jane discovered what would become her second home: Wellspring Birmingham Gilgan House.
Her first visit began with peer support, and from there she immersed herself in programs that supported both her body and spirit. Jane participated in Cancer Exercise, Nourish, Reiki, and eventually the Healing Journey series, an experience she describes as transformative.
“I felt like people’s arms were wrapped around me,” she recalls. “It was a place where I didn’t have to explain… they just understood with kindness and compassion. Every person’s cancer journey is unique. At Wellspring, I felt seen and heard.”
The Healing Journey program was especially meaningful. Jane not only completed the series herself, but later returned as a volunteer and co-facilitator, helping guide others through the same process that had supported her own recovery. Along the way, she formed deep connections with fellow members and program leaders, relationships that often extended beyond the centre into coffee dates, shared stories, and lasting friendships.
Those connections also came with heartbreak. Being part of a cancer community means celebrating survivorship, while sometimes grieving those whose journeys take a different path. Still, Jane says the sense of belonging made all the difference.
Today, Jane speaks openly about how stressful the waiting can be. Waiting for results, for plans, for next steps.
One lesson she carries forward is simple but powerful: It is nothing until it is something.
“We spend so much time and energy worrying about what might happen,” she says. “Once you have the facts, then you can work the plan. Until then, save your strength.”
As Jane regained stability in her life, she felt called to give back to the place that helped carry her through. She began donating annually, in lieu of sending gifts to clients, and continued volunteering whenever she could.
Eventually, that gratitude became something even more lasting.
Jane made the decision to include Wellspring in her will.
“First, I need to make sure my kids are taken care of. That’s my priority,” she explains. “After that, Wellspring was the obvious choice. I honestly can’t imagine a world without it. This kind of support doesn’t exist everywhere, and I will be forever grateful.”
For Jane, legacy giving is about ensuring that future generations of people facing cancer will find the same kindness, community, and unconditional support that met her when she walked through those doors.
“Wellspring picked me up when I needed it most,” she says. “I want it to be there for others, too.”
For more information about leaving a legacy with Wellspring, visit our Legacy Giving page.