Don't Rain On Their Parade

14-year old Paige Shemilt living proof that cancer can be beaten

Braving extreme weather conditions community members gathered at CFB North Bay Friday to circle the track for 12 hours to raise funds to help fight cancer.

Through lightning, thunder and pouring rain families and friends continued to circle the track finding solace by sharing their stories of loss, pain struggle and triumph over cancer.

The ‘Survivors Lap’ for 6-year old Jessica Sheldon and her family signalled that one more milestone was realised in Jessica’s battle with leukaemia.

“It's great, it feels like things are getting back to normal, and she is doing well,” says her mom.

“The first month was the hardest in fact the first six months, but now that we've had some milestones, our next big milestone is in February. So far she's been doing really well been responding really well to chemo, we try not to look too far ahead, we just sort of move onto the next stage, more than anything else,” says dad Ken.

He adds that there's no question the encouragement he feels standing in the sea of blue t-shirts.

“The scary part is there are so many people of all ages. It's nice to see everybody but it also is overwhelming to see how many people that are actually living with cancer. It's a bit overwhelming, actually.”

Poster child for the city’s Relay for Life, 14-year old Paige Shemilt, understands the feeling of being overwhelmed in the midst of the survivors, but says there is strength in numbers.

Shemilt was diagnosed with kidney cancer when she was just 4 years old, about the same age as Jessica, and says she is living proof that cancer can be beaten.

“It makes me feel like other people know exactly what I've been through, and know what my family's been through, and everything like that.”

“I walk because I feel like if I do than other people will know what it's like, and I'm helping other people along the way,” says Shemilt.

Tom Geikie, 2006 Relay Chair who had a hard time bouncing back after the death of his best friend and event co-chair, says his friend’s commitment to the relay is what helped him carry on.

“This Relay for Life, this event meant everything to Glen, he inspired me to get involved. I figure I'm just carrying on that torch in doing what he wanted me to do, and I'm happy to do it,” says Geikie.

“And I'm sure he's up there looking down right now, and he is pretty happy with what's going on with the event right now.”

Geikie said although the weather wasn’t ideal, nothing could rain on his parade or the important work of the Cancer Society and his committee.

“Damp, but my spirits are not dampened, because I just look out there tonight at the people that are walking around the track, and in this rain, there is even lightning off in the far distance, actually it is pouring and it hasn't dampened their spirits. So my spirits certainly can't be dampened.”

This year the committee focused on having more survivors on sight to truly demonstrate that there is hope when the battle against cancer seems lost.

“That's what it's about it about the survivors. Survivors are up and that's what we want more survivors,” says Geikie

“Last year, we had 230 survivors for the walk, this year, we have over 250 out there in that rain, and the more survivors, the better. We know cancer can be beaten.”

Monies raised from the event are directed to certain areas, 50 percent of the funds will be directed to research, while 42 percent of the funds stay in North Bay for community services such as the Transportation Program.

St. Anne’s School Homecoming for Jessica Sheldon