A New Beat in Jim’s story
When Jim Winslett was diagnosed with cancer the first time, he was in his late 40s, and he had an epiphany of sorts. “It was at that point that I adopted the tenet I now live by, which is: if it doesn’t help someone or bring me joy, I don’t have time for it.” Of […]
Raylene’s Story: Highs and Lows of Life and Cancer
I was out running errands one day and happened to drive by Wellspring Alberta in Calgary. I was very curious about what went on inside, so I looked it up online and read about the amazing programs Wellspring offers to those living with cancer, their families and caregivers. My dad had passed away from cancer, […]
Nimrat’s Story: Facing Cancer Openly
When Nimrat was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 44, the married mother of two said she found the news shocking, but not entirely unexpected. Having lost her mom to cancer in India when she was 14, Nimrat had lived through the worst-case scenario, but now, living in Canada, her cancer was detected early, and […]
Jann’s Story: A Safe Landing at Wellspring
A Safe Landing at Wellspring In 2023, just weeks after finishing chemotherapy, Jann put on her bike helmet, lined up beside her husband Mark, and rode 25 kilometres in the Cancervive ride for Wellspring Alberta. “It was a way to challenge myself. I wanted to prove that I can do this — that I can […]
Kerry’s Story: A Heart for Art
When Kerry Ferguson looks back over the difficult events she has faced in the past decade, she describes them with a lightheartedness that reflects her no-nonsense approach. “That’s how this family copes. We soldier along and take things as they come. We talk about things, but without a lot of drama. We face what comes […]
Kristal’s Story: Grace in the Storm
Kristal never imagined that she would one day open up about her personal struggles with people she didn’t know well. She had always been someone who preferred to quietly support others rather than share her own challenges. But everything changed in the summer of 2023 when Kristal was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age […]
Eva’s Story: Path to Healing
More than a decade after coming to Canada to build a better life for herself and her son, Eva’s world was shaken by an unexpected cancer diagnosis. What began as unexplained symptoms soon led to life-altering news, filling her with fear and uncertainty. Treatment followed, bringing both physical and emotional challenges. During her recovery, Eva […]
Mohamed and Nassim’s Story: The Long Way to Wellspring
If you ask Mohamed Jaffer to share what he likes most about Wellspring Alberta, he grins, as if to demonstrate his answer. “At Wellspring, you enter the building with a smile … and you leave with a smile. Now that says a lot about a place that’s for people with cancer,” he said. A Colourful […]
Michelle’s Story: Uncharted Waters
For the McKechnie family, cancer descended on their lives in unrelenting waves, each one surfacing before they had a chance to recover from the last. It began in May 2021, when Michelle’s father — a man she shared an unshakable bond with — was diagnosed with stage 4 colorectal cancer and died less than six months later. Then, before Michelle and her husband Tim and son Jackson had absorbed that painful loss, the […]
Pam’s story: hope, healing, and a way forward
Community Healing: Pam’s Journey Pam had plenty on her mind last February, the grief of losing her dad just a few months earlier was still fresh, and she was recovering from oral surgery. Between juggling her work and everyday life, she barely registered the occasional pain in her breast, brushing it off as nothing serious. […]