Rajan Sandhu Fundraiser
2018 Recipients:
Rajan Sandhu Fundraiser donated $8000 to Alwalieed in Burnaby. This young man had to deal with depression for years and then was diagnosed with a rare brain tumour. He’s a kind and respectful young man with a good soul. Our conversations with him have left us in awe of his strength and positivity. He thanks everyone who supported the fundraiser.
Meet Jeffrey, 22 years old from Nova Scotia. He has a terminal brain tumour. Already has had 2 surgeries. Lost the use of one of his arms and has taught him self to play video games with one arm. Was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome when he was 10. Will use the money to pay his mom's bills so she can stay home and take care of him. He would also like to travel to LA if he is healthy enough to see his favourite comedians. Rajan Sandhu Fundraiser donated $10 000 to Jeffrey.
63 year old Muhammed Rahmani was undergoing treatment for a malignant brain tumour. He is all alone in Canada with no family and few friends. We were helping to get his brother here as a support for him but there were some immigration issues. He received $4 000 from the Rajan Sandhu Fundraiser which was used to help get his brother here.
2017 Recipients:
Cheryl Wilson from the Yukon received $4000
"I was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor in September 2017. I was medivaced to Royal Columbian Hospital New Westminster from Whitehorse Yukon. My son Liam, now nine years old brought me much comfort also as he will always be my pride and joy in life.
Unfortunately I do not get to share as much time with my son, due to other medical concerns of post-traumatic stress disorder. Yet Liam is in my heart every step of the way. Since this October I have been going through radiation and chemo treatments. As a result of medical concerns I have not been able to work for quite some time.
I am hoping to see the silver lining beyond the clouds of shades of grey in time, and truly hoping for a miracle."- Cheryl Wilson.
Scott Boudreau of Halifax received $10 000. Scott has a terminal brain tumour and his tumour is inoperable. Since Scott's diagnosis he has been a huge advocate for research and awareness for this devastating disease. His role of advocate has changed due to increasing health issues. No longer the vibrant social person but more of a recluse due to his decline in health. He has been not only through one huge impact in his life but several – one of them is losing his partner to breast cancer during his own diagnosis. In his struggle to adapt to his new normal – he has sought alternative treatments and of course these funds are all out of pocket. This has depleted his life savings. His disability income is very fixed and these treatments bring him HOPE and adjustments to his standard of living.
Baby Evelyn and family received $6 500. Evelyn was born with a number of serious health issues and as a result her mother was unable to return to work. Unfortunately, the financial stress of having a sick family member came on quick and this donation was very much needed.
2016 Recipients:
Paul Ellis and family received $10 000 this year. Paul was a member of the Navy in his younger days and once he was settled in Ontario with his family, Paul donated his time for many well worthy causes. He volunteered within his community and made sure that young individuals volunteered their time as well. He raised money for cancer research and ironically he would eventually be diagnosed with a brain tumour.
Paul and his family had to make many concessions once the financial struggle of cancer kicked in. He has accepted his faith, but he is struggling with the fact that his family would be left with a financial burden. A Go Fund Me Page was set up for Paul by one of his mentees. The goal was to raise $15 000. The $10 000 will go a long way for Paul and his family.
Robby Heil is a young man with downs syndrome and his story was recently shared on sports broadcasts across North America. Click to watch the story that was viewed on ABC earlier this year. The Rajan Sandhu Fundraiser was happy to donate US $10 000 to the Robby and the Heil family. To see their story, click here
The Hall family's story was featured in The Vancouver Sun. This article not only shares the story of the Hall family, but it also goes into detail how the medical system is failing families across the country. They received $7 500.Click the link below to read the article in its entirety. http://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/cancer-kids-costs-families-also-face-crippling-financial-pressure-when-illness-strikes
2015 Recipients:
Linda Collins has been struggling with cancer for many years and is now in the final months of her life. She lives in Nanaimo, BC, with her daughter who is also very ill. Linda's daughter is legally blind and is struggling with her health, and it is her daughter who she was most concerned about. Along with health issues, Linda struggles financially. Her health issues resulted in her not being able to work, and living in Vancouver was no longer an option as finances became a serious struggle, as is the case with many cancer patients. Prior to being diagnosed, Linda had a very rewarding career as a PR executive with a company in Vancouver, as things got worse she moved to Nanaimo and eventually had to rely on the food bank to fill up her fridge and pantry with food.
You can only imagine how surprised and happy Linda was when she received a phone call from a stranger and was told that she would be receiving $10 000. She was in absolute shock. $10 000 was not going to save Linda and her daughter, but it would definitely make her last year a little better, and relieve a little bit of stress. The first thing Linda did was throw out all of the expired food bank food and went grocery shopping! Her emails tell the story of two happy people who had the time of their life cooking a meal for themselves with fresh, healthy ingredients. She also bought her daughter a bed, and dishwasher. Linda also paid off debts and bought other household items that would make her daughter's life a little easier. Linda was happy that she was able to plan her end of life and not have to worry about money as much. Linda would like to thank everyone who donated to the event last year.
No picture available for the following 2 recipients
Janice has been struggling with cancer for many years and was given less than a year to live. Janice had not seen her mother and siblings in Australia for more than 20 years. When we came across her story, we thought it would only make sense to send her to Australia to see her family one more time. As an immigrant to Canada and raising two children on her own, Janice was never able to save the money and see her family as she wished. She was very gracious and sends her best wishes to all of those who helped send her to see her family one last time. Janice was given $6 000
Janine is a young individual who lives in Vancouver and was in a car accident when she was recovering from cancer. Her life seemed to be in a downward spiral and needed some help to get back on her feet. Finances were her biggest stress. She was given $3 000 to help her get back on her feet.