I hope you can help support me as I walk on Sunday, September 8 at the Guelph, Kitchener and Waterloo Walk of Hope to raise much needed funds for Ovarian Cancer Canada!

This year marks 8 years since my ovarian cancer diagnosis. I can tell you that life is never quite the same after cancer. I often look at my own cancer diagnosis as a dividing line in my life, separating my life into "BC" and "AC" ... before cancer and after cancer. It's a process of grieving the life I thought I had.

While I continue to be thriving after cancer, I still worry about cancer reoccurrence. This really is the awful daily reality of those living with ovarian cancer face. Considering that approximately 85% of survivors experience recurrence, this means current treatment strategies are failing 85% of us. 85 percent! My stomach is in knots just thinking about the number. This number is just unacceptable.

If I ever have to face the cancer battle again, I want there to be better odds, and I hope you do too. I fundraise so there can be more access to better treatments, more funding for research to create better treatments, and more options for women to live longer. This is one of the many reasons why I am involved in the Walk. For all the other ovarian cancer survivors out there facing reoccurence and for those who have left us...and for the future me.

The Walk celebrates the hope I carry with me every day – the hope for a future without this disease. The future where young women like me no longer have to hear the words "you have cancer" and don't have to forgo having families because of there are no other treatment options for this horrible disease.

Every dollar I raise supports Ovarian Cancer Canada, the only national charity entirely dedicated to this important cause. Funds will be used to provide support, increase awareness, and fund vital research so that we can change the future for women with ovarian cancer. Last year Team Trista raised $3,420, and I am so proud to say that we have raised over $36,915 for Ovarian Cancer Canada since 2016. Just amazing!

Please provide your support by giving generously. Together we can make a difference!

With love and gratitude,
Trista