Sandra Gabriel\u2019s life before cancer was busy and full. A devoted wife and mother to two children, a 15-year-old son and a 12-year-old daughter, she balanced family life with a rewarding full-time career as a relationship manager in the financial services industry.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was always on the go,\u201d<\/em> she recalls. \u201cWork was busy, the kids were busy \u2013 I was tired, but I just thought that\u2019s what life looks like.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Looking back, Sandra now realizes that some of the symptoms she experienced were early warning signs. \u201cThey brushed things off as perimenopause,\u201d<\/em> she says. \u201cI just kept going.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n In January 2025, everything changed suddenly. After weeks of worsening symptoms, Sandra ended up in the emergency department, where a scan revealed a mass in her colon. Further testing confirmed that the cancer had already spread to her liver and lungs. She was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer.<\/p>\n Within two weeks, Sandra underwent major surgery. What followed was a whirlwind of treatments, hospital stays, and difficult news. While chemotherapy initially worked to shrink tumors and surgery successfully removed cancer from her colon and liver, the disease proved aggressive.<\/p>\n \u201cSix months later, I had eight new tumors in my liver,\u201d<\/em> she says. \u201cThat was a really hard moment.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Today, Sandra lives with cancer as a chronic condition where she continues treatment.<\/p>\n Finding Wellspring \u2013 and Strength<\/strong><\/p>\n Sandra had heard about Wellspring long before her diagnosis. Years earlier, she had even volunteered. So, when her doctor and care team suggested it, she knew where to turn.<\/p>\n Still, taking that first step wasn\u2019t easy. \u201cI\u2019ll be honest \u2013 I didn\u2019t want to go,\u201d<\/em> she says. \u201cGoing meant admitting I had cancer and needed help.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Encouraged by her doctor and her husband, Sandra eventually decided to try Wellspring\u2019s Cancer Exercise Program at its Birmingham Gilgan House in Oakville.<\/p>\n \u201cI was terrified,\u201d<\/em> she admits. But the experience quickly changed her perspective.<\/p>\n \u201cThe team is incredible,\u201d<\/em> she says. \u201cThey meet you exactly where you are. They adjust everything based on how you\u2019re feeling that day. You feel safe, supported, and understood.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n For Sandra, the benefits went beyond physical strength. \u201cIt gives you structure. It gets you out of the house. And when you don\u2019t feel like going, you go anyway \u2013 and you always feel better after.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n What began as a hesitant commitment has become an essential part of her routine. \u201cNow, if I don\u2019t go, I feel like I\u2019ve let myself down,\u201d <\/em>she says. \u201cIt\u2019s something I do for me.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n The Power of Connection<\/strong><\/p>\n One of the most unexpected and meaningful aspects of Wellspring for Sandra has been the sense of connection. \u201cI didn\u2019t think I needed that,\u201d<\/em> she admits. \u201cI have amazing family and friends. But it\u2019s different when you\u2019re with people who truly understand what you\u2019re going through.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Through the program, Sandra has met others living with cancer \u2013 including two women with the same diagnosis. \u201cWe share experiences, we encourage each other, we check in,\u201d <\/em>she says. \u201cEven if our situations are different, there\u2019s this understanding you don\u2019t have to explain.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n These connections have brought both comfort and encouragement. \u201cSome days are really hard,\u201d<\/em> Sandra says. \u201cBut being around people who say, \u2018You\u2019ve got this \u2013 you\u2019ll get through today,\u2019 it makes a difference.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n A New Perspective on Life<\/strong><\/p>\n Cancer has changed Sandra\u2019s life in profound ways \u2013 some painful, others unexpectedly meaningful.<\/p>\n \u201cSome days, I think it\u2019s the worst thing that\u2019s ever happened to me,\u201d<\/em> she says honestly. \u201cAnd other days, I see it as a gift. It makes you reflect. It makes you re-evaluate everything.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n One of the biggest changes has been time \u2013 something that once felt scarce is now deeply cherished. \u201cI used to be rushing all the time,\u201d<\/em> she says. \u201cNow I\u2019m home more, and my kids say to me, \u2018Mom, I love you being home \u2013 you\u2019re so fun now.\u2019 That really stayed with me.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n A Message to Others<\/strong><\/p>\n For anyone hesitant about reaching out for support, Sandra\u2019s advice is simple: \u201cYou have to try,\u201d<\/em> she says. \u201cI\u2019m the perfect example. I didn\u2019t think it was for me \u2013 but it\u2019s helped me so much.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s incredible that Wellspring exists, and that it\u2019s free,\u201d<\/em> she says. \u201cThis gives people a place to go, people to connect with, and something to hold onto.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Sandra Gabriel\u2019s life before cancer was busy and full. A devoted wife and mother to two children, a 15-year-old son and a 12-year-old daughter, she balanced family life with a rewarding full-time career as a relationship manager in the financial services industry. \u201cI was always on the go,\u201d she recalls. \u201cWork was busy, the kids […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":13540,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"location":[],"class_list":["post-13539","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-member-story"],"yoast_head":"\n