Kerri Stiller wants to make sure that people remember her daughter Keera Daniel.
The 17-year-old former soccer player who attended Chippewa died of cancer in February of 2019 after a courageous battle with cancer. The disease moved quickly and started with bone cancer that led to an amputation early in 2018 and then less than a year later she was diagnosed with lung cancer.
With September being Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, her mother Kerri wanted to bring attention to Keera’s battle by promoting a blood donor clinic hosted by Canada's Blood Services.
In fact, today was Kerri’s first time donating blood at the clinic at the Elk’s Lodge.
Wednesday was also a special donation event in-honour of her daughter’s memory and to raise awareness of the need for blood in cancer treatments during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.
“I am trying to make a positive out of a negative,” said Kerri, who was joined by her husband Gord at the clinic.
“As far as blood donations, it takes up to five donors for one cancer treatment. Keera had many blood transfusions, she has friends that are still going through cancer. It is a world that people do not really know about until you are in there.
“Blood services has been great and even the support from the schools, just getting the word around will make a big difference.”
See related: First annual memorial scholarship presented in honour of Keera Daniel
See related: Family of teen battling cancer gets through the challenges day by day
Stiller is very appreciative of all the community support their family has received through this challenging journey. She just wants the community to remember Keera.
“I want to continue the fight for Keera and I do not want people to forget about her,” she said.