Research Excellence at PMH

In November, I attended a couple of events to celebrate research excellence at Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH). The first one focused on illustrating fundraising impact, both in the clinic and the laboratory. A new state-of-the art clinic to support people who are undergoing clinical trials treatment, and new lab equipment to expedite testing of new therapeutics for blood cancers would not have been possible without generous donors. As a long-time supporter of the hospital, it's gratifying for me to see the impact of that support. Later in the month, I attended another inspiring event to once again celebrate fundraising [...]

By |2023-12-27T21:37:46+00:00November 27th, 2023|cycling, fundraising, Survivor, Volunteering|0 Comments

15 years of Riding to Conquer Cancer

There are many things that can happen to a body after a bone marrow transplant. Graft vs Host disease, infection, viruses, autoimmune conditions, not to mention the lingering side effects of treatment and medication. And if you’re lucky enough to survive 35 years, as I am, there’s old age and achy joints to slow you down. Think ’57 Chevy with a rebuilt engine and a whole lot of tinkering! One constant for me these past three and a half decades has been the extraordinary care and compassion of the people who work at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. [...]

By |2023-10-15T21:35:22+00:00April 29th, 2023|cycling, fundraising, Survivor, Volunteering, Writer|0 Comments

Commit to #3in2023

Make a difference this holiday season by giving the gift of life. I’m honoured to share my story for the #3in2023 holiday campaign in support of Canadian Blood Services. The campaign features remarkable stories about the ongoing impact of a single donation by generous donors. Your gift of blood, plasma, platelets, stem cells, organs or tissue could save a life! I know this because 157 transfusions saved my life while I waited for a transformative stem cell transplant 35 years ago. Click here for more information about how to commit to your 3 in 2023. Back to Complete List [...]

By |2023-10-15T21:35:45+00:00November 26th, 2022|cycling, fundraising, Survivor, Volunteering|0 Comments

RTCC Ride #12: That’s a wrap!

I named my bike Freedom last year. In the midst of the pandemic, cycling was a blissful break from lockdowns and restrictions. It helped put my life in perspective and reminded me to be grateful, even with gusty headwinds and rubbery legs :) This year, 3,000+ riders joyfully gathered in-person and cycled 200km+ for cancer research at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. My 12th Ride to Conquer Cancer was a tribute to everyone affected by cancer including Dr. Hans Messner—Heme Team founder, avid cyclist, and the man who performed my life-saving bone marrow transplant in 1988 as a research [...]

By |2023-10-15T21:36:56+00:00June 26th, 2022|cycling, fundraising, Survivor, Volunteering|0 Comments

Another (pandemic) year, Another Ride

Pandemics come and go, but the Ride to Conquer Cancer persists. I’ve written about this event in my memoir -- about the first Ride in 2008 and how cycling 200 kilometres over 2 days helped me reclaim my health and come to terms with the after effects of the bone marrow transplant that cured my leukemia. I’ve continued to ride ever since. Ride #11 this year seems more important than ever. It's a way to transcend the fear and anxiety scenting the air and to remind myself that this too shall pass. You can learn more about why I [...]

By |2023-10-15T21:37:33+00:00August 7th, 2021|Covid-19, cycling, fundraising, Survivor, Volunteering, Writer|0 Comments

Canadian Blood Services Profile

Still thankful 33 years after transplant, Toronto woman now helps others. "During my time in hospital, I received 157 units of blood,” she says. “Each unit represented a blood donation from someone I didn’t know. Those transfusions kept me alive during treatment, so supporting the work of Canadian Blood Services to facilitate blood and stem cell donations across Canada is a no-brainer." Thanks to Canadian Blood Services for helping me celebrate the 33-year anniversary of the bone marrow transplant that cured my leukemia and saved my life. The procedure was a last-ditch Hail Mary play after all other treatment [...]

2020 *virtual* Ride to Conquer Cancer

So much has changed in the world since last year but cycling has given me back my freedom this summer, which I sorely missed during the spring. This month there’s the added bonus of training for my 10th Ride to Conquer Cancer on August 29, 2020. For safety reasons during the pandemic, all participants will ride their own routes that day to create a *virtual* ride. Here’s my pledge this August: 10 training rides, 100 km cycled the Aug.29 weekend *at least* $10,000 raised. UPDATE Aug. 30, 2020 : Ride 2020 is a wrap! 11 rides completed, 110 [...]

By |2023-10-15T21:39:56+00:00August 15th, 2020|Covid-19, cycling, fundraising, Survivor|0 Comments

National Post Excerpt: I became a human chimera

How my sister's cells attacked my body, and changed my life. "It would be another 25 years before I learned about blood tissue, cells, genes and DNA. Before I would understand that I’d become a sort of human chimera. Like the fire-breathing creature from Greek mythology — with a lion’s head, a goat’s body and a serpent’s tail — my body was no longer just my own. I was host to my sister and myself." I knew it was a medical Hail Mary play — a first-of-its-kind procedure in Canada, with an eight per cent chance of success. It was 1988 [...]

By |2023-10-15T21:40:26+00:00July 10th, 2020|cycling, Publication, Survivor, Writer|0 Comments

Giving back to the place that saved my life

Leaving a Legacy (From the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation 2019 Annual Report) Margaret Lynch was the first in Canada to receive an experimental bone marrow transplant at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. Today, she is healthy and thriving, dedicated to giving back to the place that saved her life. Margaret has cycled in The Ontario Ride to Conquer Cancer nine times, to raise funds for cancer research. “I know firsthand that supporting The Princess Margaret will further cancer research and get us closer to a world without cancer,” says Margaret. Margaret was only 30 years old when she was diagnosed [...]

By |2023-10-15T21:46:13+00:00September 26th, 2019|cycling, Publication, Survivor, Writer|0 Comments

2019 Ride to Conquer Cancer

What a glorious Ride to Conquer Cancer weekend! 4,573 participants raised over $19.2 million for cancer research. Our 60-person Heme Team raised $212,327 to support blood cancer research at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. Over 2 days, I cycled 221 km. It was my ninth ride and 80 donors helped me raise $13,231. However, the numbers don’t tell the whole story. The Ride is an emotional rollercoaster, starting and finishing both days with exuberance. Spirits are high at pit stops along the way as riders consume thousands of bananas, oranges, brownies, and water while waiting for port-a-potties. But it’s [...]

By |2023-10-15T21:46:48+00:00June 10th, 2019|cycling, Survivor, Writer|0 Comments
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