When Lejla first received her diagnosis, it didn\u2019t fully register.<\/p>\n
Years before the COVID-19 pandemic, she was told she had a condition that put her at higher risk for developing cancer. The name was unfamiliar, the implications unclear. \u201cI came home and said, \u2018I have some sickness\u2026 but it doesn\u2019t mean anything except that I am at risk,\u2019\u201d <\/em>she recalls.<\/p>\n But in 2024, things changed. Her condition progressed to smoldering multiple myeloma: a form of blood cancer that, despite being one of the more common types, is still not widely understood. The word \u201ccancer\u201d landed heavily.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was a shock,\u201d<\/em> Lejla says. \u201cEven when they say \u2018smoldering,\u2019 it is still cancer. It\u2019s upsetting.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n One year later, her worst fears became reality. In December 2025, Lejla suffered a pelvic fracture. After the doctors inspected, she found herself officially diagnosed with multiple myeloma.<\/p>\n The physical pain was overwhelming. \u201cI couldn\u2019t sleep. I was on morphine,\u201d<\/em> she says. \u201cIt was so hard. I remember thinking, \u2018I will take the whole bottle and finish it.\u2019 That is how much pain I was in.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Alongside the physical toll came an equally difficult mental health battle. Having been previously diagnosed with depression, Lejla recognized the signs and knew she needed support, but finding it wasn\u2019t easy.<\/p>\n \u201cI was searching everywhere,\u201d<\/em> she says. \u201cIt didn\u2019t matter where. I just needed help.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n She explored patient organizations and resources, even looking internationally for support online. While some offered valuable medical information, she struggled to find the kind of emotional and mental health support she needed.<\/p>\n But then she discovered Wellspring through a multiple myeloma information session held at Birmingham Gilgan House in Oakville. What she learned there changed everything.<\/p>\n \u201cI saw that they have support\u2014not just for multiple myeloma, but for all cancer patients,\u201d<\/em> she says. \u201cI was so happy to finally find this.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n She started taking programs immediately, and through conversations with other participants, she began to explore all that Wellspring had to offer. Encouraged by others, she signed up for programs like Yoga, Chi Life, and Reiki, gradually becoming more involved.<\/p>\n \u201cWellspring is very welcoming,\u201d<\/em> Lejla shares. \u201cYou feel like you are coming to family. Everyone understands what you are going through.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n For Lejla, that shared understanding made all the difference. Being surrounded by people who had faced similar challenges created a sense of connection and comfort she hadn\u2019t found elsewhere.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen they give you support, they know exactly what you need, because they have been there,\u201d<\/em> she says.<\/p>\n The physical programs also played an important role in her recovery. After her fracture, she notes that Wellspring programs helped her begin to heal and regain strength. Today, she credits her ability to walk without a walker to her time spent in Yoga and Chi Life.<\/p>\n Looking back, Lejla recognizes how far she has come, not just physically, but emotionally. And she carries that perspective forward, offering encouragement to others who are just beginning their journey.<\/p>\n \u201cI hope my story can help someone else now,\u201d<\/em> she says. \u201cI have passed so many obstacles.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Through it all, Wellspring has been a steady source of support. A place where Lejla found not only programs, but connection, understanding, and hope.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a place where you don\u2019t feel alone.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" When Lejla first received her diagnosis, it didn\u2019t fully register. Years before the COVID-19 pandemic, she was told she had a condition that put her at higher risk for developing cancer. The name was unfamiliar, the implications unclear. \u201cI came home and said, \u2018I have some sickness\u2026 but it doesn\u2019t mean anything except that I […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":13470,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"location":[151],"class_list":["post-13469","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-member-story","location-gta"],"yoast_head":"\n