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Hey- just a reminder…..

Have you ever heard of Stem cell transplants (or even bone marrow donating)?  It’s not exactly common discussion so let me at least tell you a bit about it here. It is something that I can tell you saves lives & it is quite easy to do. I thought it was a major procedure & it is not at all. Check out the website at www.onematch.ca. Maybe you can be a donor? Check it out- seriously- maybe you could be a donor. Have ever thought about that?  Here are some facts:

Stem cells are immature cells that can develop into any cell present in the bloodstream: red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets and other blood components. Blood stem cells are not embryonic stem cells. They come from bone marrow, circulating (peripheral) blood or umbilical cord blood. People whose diseases inhibit their ability to produce these kinds of cells need a transplant of healthy stem cells from a donor.Donors may be asked to donate either peripheral blood stem cells or bone marrow depending on the physician’s choice of therapy for the patient. After donating, most donors are back to their usual routine in a few days.

1) Peripheral stem cells are collected from circulating (peripheral) blood. Because only a small number of stem cells is released into the blood stream, a cell growth stimulating drug is administered to donors prior to the donation to dramatically increase the volume of stem cells in the blood for collection and transplant. With PBSC collection, your blood is drawn through a needle in a non-surgical procedure done at the hospital. After the stem cells are separated from the blood, the rest is returned back to your body through another needle. To increase the number of blood stem cells in your bloodstream, you will receive daily under-the-skin injections of granulocyte colony stimulated factor (G-CSF) for five days before the donation.

2) Bone marrow is the soft, jelly-like tissue found in the hollow centre of bones. It is like a factory that produces stem cells, which are the building blocks of blood. Bone marrow donors undergo a surgical procedure where the marrow containing the stem cells is collected from the pelvic bones. This is a surgical procedure performed under anesthesia. Hollow needles withdraw stem cells from your bone marrow from the back of your pelvic bones. The procedure lasts 45 to 90 minutes

Risks associated with bone marrow donation include infection, pain or numbness in a leg, bleeding at the donation site, bruising and lower back discomfort. Most donors recover well and are back to their normal routine within several days.

So, now that you have heard some of this, would you consider this if it meant saving a young child’s life?  What if it were your own chlld? Would you want to have a match?

Just sayin…. #onematch #giveblood #snkcr #gogold

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Day 18- The end of the ride

The end of the ride (for now)!  How can you possibly sum up 18 full days of cycling across Canada to save the children in our world from cancer? There is just too much to say. I have lived with the most incredible group of people for the last 3 weeks & we have all become so very close. They are my second family & I treasure each one of these individuals.  We have hugged, we have laughed, we have cried & we have done everything in between.  We have slept in 18 wheel trucks, eaten our meals in parking lots & arenas, have ridden on bicycles until our bums hurt, we have peed in numerous strange places including most parking lots across the country, we have met the most incredible families & children living with cancer, we have brought hope to many communities & most importantly...we have raised a crap load of money (1.1 million so far this year) so that your child will have a better chance at beating cancer if god forbid he or she were to get it! We are slowly making change & I have seen it first hand. It takes effort to make change & I can say we made the best effort possible. I am so proud of what we have accomplished & we did it with a smile! I would do it again in an instant!   Here are a few pics (out of thousands) that at least tell part of the tale.....

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Day 16

Day 16- PEI.  Today we did a special tribute to young Cassy.  Before she passed away from Cancer, she created a bucket list for herself. She managed to cross of all the items except for one. She wanted to go to PEI.....so, we brought her stars with us & created a video to show that we brought her spirit there with us. Here it is!

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Day 15 - More kids dying

Day 15 Edmunston to Woodstock, NB Yup- another province! That's what happens when you keep pedalling! We rode for little James today! He is Gord's son. Look at his picture- tell me what a beautiful & innocent little lad he is & was! He just exudes love & joy. He loved Thomas the train so much! Gord still carries his little Thomas train with him & has allowed various riders to carry it on their backs in his honour.....& what an honour that is to the riders who get to. I am attaching James story here- he is no longer with us- he too died from cancer. His family still struggles. They probably always will & I don't blame them. A child's death is not something you ever get over- it's something you just learn to live with as best as you can.  Not a day goes by that I don't think of my own son Simon who died in 2014. It still seems so fresh. My only solace is that he is always just a thought away! .....but it still hurts like f**k! The sun came out again today & shone against a great background of rolling hills & colourful trees. The Saint John river meandered to our left (& at times to our right) & the day seemed quite peaceful.  We had a wonderful opportunity to go through the historic Hartland covered bridge too- did you know it is the longest covered bridge in the world? Cool eh? Then at lunchtime, my friend & co- rider Taylor got the hard news that another little soul was lost. Dear little Greta passed away today- she too from cancer. God will it ever stop?  It just hurts so much. Innocence lost yet again. It's just not right. I am only one person trying to make a difference but it takes more than just me. It's easy to volunteer for things. Just make a plan. Anyone can do something to make change. What do you want to see changed in this world? What is important to you? Do you have it in you to give back in some way? Dig deep inside- think about how you can make a difference in this world...& then "just do it"! Please! fionasteele.snkcr.com

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Some beautiful Quebec scenery

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Day 14

Day 14- Maskinoge to Quebec City Another best day ever!! Beautiful sunshine, beautiful views, beautiful people, beautiful dedication & a beautiful ride! I even bought the freshest cheese curds at the breakfast stop! Mmmmm Some days riding are harder than others but today's 160 km seemed easier than other days. The bigger hills did not reach us until the last half of the day which helped- I am sure. I am living in the now- it's all we have really if you think of it. I celebrate today because I am alive! I celebrate the beauty of today too for those that are not alive!! This whole journey is one of both self reflection & giving to others. It feels so good to give back. Giving back can come in many forms- it doesn't have to be a crazy thing like riding across Canada on a bike... it could be as little as smiling & giving the thumbs up to someone on a bus who looks sad, or making a meal for someone sick. (Maybe even getting out your wallet & donating to this cause). I chose to bicycle the country particularly to raise monies for much needed research for kids cancer because I know firsthand how much it is needed. I have been a volunteer on this ride twice before & I was frustrated at not being able to raise as much funds as I wanted too & thought people would take more notice if I rode. It worked, I raised a lot more. As you know, I am not an athlete by nature (or a cyclist).... but my heart is sure in it (even when my body does not co-operate.). Many don't know this, but I had cancer myself this year. I wasn't sure I was even going to be able to ride, but surgery cured me & it never deterred me. I am here & I am riding!! I have always said anyone can do anything if you put your mind to it- with effort comes change! Change is paving the way for more kids to live. Cancer really sucks in all ways but to see a child with it is the worst thing ever! Just imagine multiple spinal taps, daily finger pokes for bloodwork, surgeries, radiation, tons of chemotherapy, Iv's, steroids, echocardiograms, X-rays, nausea, headaches, body pain, nerve pain, side effects like pneumonia, pancreatitis....the list goes on! They suffer badly- don't think they don't! They do! Some terribly. It makes me cry inside every time I meet a child going through it. Yet these children seem so wise & mature. Thy are forced to grow up quickly- they lose their childhoods....& so many are dying. In general, we are able to save about 3 out of every 4 children...but with 10,000 kids a year- that is a lot of dead kids. I am not sorry at all to be so blunt. I am tired of so many dying. Imagine your beautiful healthy child today (or grandchild). Now imagine that same child suffering & dying. Not a nice image, is it? Cancer is ugly to the core. Will you help me eradicate it in children? At present less than 4% of monies donated to cancer charities are allocated to kids cancer....but our foundation is different. Not only is our organization devoted solely to children's cancer but also 100% of your monies donated (every penny) reaches the cause!! Best cause ever!!!! #nkcr #kidscancersucks 

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Day 13

Day 13 Gold is for children's cancer awareness month! #gogold #nkcr2017 

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Day 12-  Sick kids

Day 12- Barrie to Toronto (yesterday) Woweee! Best & hardest day yet! The definition of a hill is "a naturally raised area of land, not as high as a mountain".  Well we hit the motherload today!  I was warned there would be some really good ones....but holy crap- It caught me by surprise for sure. I thought Northern Ontario was hard, but Southern Ontario wins the prize (so far)!  It was a really good challenge & I was sure glad for some extra hands pushing me up some of the hills.  I could hear my lungs coming out of my nose. I think I scared a few people on my team with my rapid breathing- ha ha!  My heart rate was over 190 for a bit. Today (before the hills), we started the day off with a beautiful dedication to Taissa (daughter of Ulana - a past rider).   Taissa faced many challenges when she was born but she overcame them all - they said she would never walk or talk - but she defied all odds. She was a treasure & had a great soul. Then at the age of 12, she was hit with cancer (non- hodgkins lymphoma).  It battered her frail little body & she died. I know too well the heartbreak her mother felt & still feels- so today we rode for Taissa.   Taissa is also the child that we all wear blue nail polish for (as she so loved the colour blue). We had all painted one nail before we even left Vancouver in her honour & You can be assured that the whole team made sure their nails were touched up again today-not one person was without! Towards the end of the day, we arrived at Sherway Mall & we had the most fantastic reception from many people, family & friends. The parking lot was a frenzy!  I had the most fantastic surprise from my little friend Ivy!  It brought me to tears. Ivy was in treatment for cancer at the IWK hospital in Nova Scotia when my son was in treatment- we met there. Her mother is a beautiful soul too & we are kindred spirits. Ivy was just a toddler when I first met her & she used to tricycle down the hospital hallways with an IV pole attached & her mother or grandmother running behind her moving the pole. Ivy had no fear- cancer was just an inconvenience to her- she always smiled (unless she was barfing). Now Ivy has cancer again. It freakin sucks (being polite here with my outside voice).  You can imagine what I really want to say.  She still rides a bike but now has 2 wheels only!!  Ivy gave me ALL her birthday money as a donation to our cause- holy geez- can you ask for a better gift ever? I did not want to take her birthday money but I know how much she wanted us to have it....how is that for a lesson In love? The young teaching the old! After leaving Sherway Mall,   we all rode into Toronto under a police motorcade escort- about 20km ride. Was it ever cool! We road along Lake Shore Blvd & I saw Toronto in a different way. People were curious & waved at us from bridges & along the side of the road. I think the police had a blast too shooting ahead & stopping traffic. About 2 blocks from Toronto Sick Kids Hospital, we were joined by Ivy on her bike! She lead us all in to our destination- I could not think of a better way to arrive there! I have a video of her joining in & leading the way!! Once we arrived at Sick Kids Hospital, we were invited inside- I had never been inside the building before- I was struck by the immense size of the place...All for sick children! How many Sick Kids can there be at once? Too many. It had 8 floors! No adult patients. Did you know that more children die of cancer than all other diseases combined? It is also the 2nd highest cause of death in children (above accidents)!!! We did learn of some great new breakthroughs & research programs & a new drug trial program that was keeping alive a young boy called Owen that we met there. Owen is also dealing with cancer for a second time & at first there was no hope for him but his Dr found a brand new drug trial (only discovered a week before) & so far it is keeping Owen alive!! All due to our fundraising efforts from the Coast to Coast against Cancer Foundation! How great is that?  Hearing that was such a perfect example of what our monies are doing! It restored my soul & made every little sore spot in my body all worthwhile. The end (for today).

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Here is Abby

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Day 11- Echo Bay to Spanish (& day of self reflection) Off my rocker day! I don't know why, but today I was not together. I guess it happens but I don't like it. Team means unity. It means perseverance together & keeping each other tight & in check. I am unbalanced today & not pulling my weight as a team member. I don't like it. It feels awful. I couldn't keep up & had to pull myself off the road so as to not wreck the rest of the team. I have had nightmares in my sleep the last 3 nights & I woke up this morning just being off. I tried to shake off the cobweb remnants of last nights dream & gave myself a pep talk to get it together. Within 5 minutes of being on the road I was having minor bike issues & had to stop the team to get my bike back in order. Then a weird thing happened- I looked down & found a dime. Right there by my foot. It made me smile. Finding Dimes in weird places has been a theme for me ever since my son died....years later I found out it is supposed to mean that you are getting a visit from beyond (or an angel is with you). I am not superstitious at all but I find it comforting. Anyways, we continued on. We hit a 23 km stretch of gravelly road & it was really hard on everyone (& the bikes).... my back was aching so much. I have been having back issues since Day 6 but I was able to keep going. After break I did another stretch on the road & was ok. We pedalled on. At the second break, the dime disappeared. I had it in a plastic ziploc pouch. I went to show it to my husband & it was gone. It was freaky. I had it 5 minutes before as I had seen it when I pulled out the pouch initially. Oh well, I said (but inside I was disappointed). It's just a freakin dime. I kept telling myself....but somewhere inside me it was more than a dime. (I think I was looking at it for strength). Then out we went again on the road. Within about 10 km, I was done as dinner! I could not keep up the pace with the group & my back was throbbing. I kept creating a gap & pedalling with all my might to keep up & I just couldn't keep the pace. That was a first for me with losing actual leg power. So... here I am in the RV typing & lying down with pillows under my knees & ice on my back (annoyed at my body). I don't normally have lower back issues so it is catching me a bit off.guard. It got me thinking about teams of people in general. When my son was sick with cancer- we had lots of teams. We had a team of Doctors & medical staff, we had a team of friends who rallied around us & our family was a tight team! We all went through his illness & death together & we came out on the other side still mostly whole. None of the teams gave up on each other. Then we stopped for lunch. It all came together in my mind right then & there. My motto has always been "if it's worth doing, it's worth doing well"....& before I left home to embark on this whole journey, my new saying was "just doing it"!! So I knew I was not going to give up on the day. I got my bike off the back of the RV & put it back on the rack with the other team of bikes! Then I met Abby. She just happened to show up unexpectedly. She has cancer. Initially she had osteosarcoma which is horrible in itself but then 6 yrs layer she also developed a brain tumour....& she certainly never gave up. Neither did her team. Her team has rallied around her & they are being successful (3 yrs later)! I realized 2 things at that moment. 1) my team would never give up on me despite my bad day & 2) nothing I was feeling would EVER compare to what she was & has gone through. I think I needed that moment of a reality check to get my brain & arse back on the bike. And I did. I finished out the day with my team & felt really good about it. I am glad I lost the dime. I don't ever want to depend on a dime or anything else to get through any moments. I just needed to look inside myself & dig deeper. With effort, comes change. Just like what we are all doing here as a team. We are making changes bit by bit for kids living with & beyond cancer. I changed my moments only because I tried harder. No one ever said this would be easy....but I truly know that my worst day on my bike will never compare to the best day for a child with cancer. Never give up/ Never back down! (Here is a photo of Abby too)!

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Day 10- Marathon to Wawa Today was very very wet & rainy. Last night as we lay in our bunk beds in the 18 wheeler transport trucks, we could hear the rain drops pounding on the tin roof & thunder claps were bursting through just as we were closing our eyes in sleep desperation. So when we woke up to rain today I was not surprised. We still ride in the rain if it is safe to do so...and we rode! Until we couldn't. We had a great breakfast at the Marathon Visitor Centre- we always get such a warm welcome from the beautiful people that run the place. In fact they stayed up till well after midnight last night ensuring we had access to bathrooms for the night- very much appreciated as we don't always have access to bathrooms (I bet you never thought of that aspect of things-did you?). So, back to the day now. After riding 50 km in wet downpours & big trucks barreling by, we managed to make it to White River where we were invited to the local elementary school (St Basil's). Holy moly the kids were so cute & so curious. I gave a talk to them about cancer, about what we are doing & about cycling safety. They were so eager to know & they had the greatest questions- it totally made my day. The school was very small & the kids all looked so healthy....but every time I see a group of school kids, I do wonder which one of them could be the next victim of ugly cancer. My heart doesn't want any of them to ever get it... but reality is such that 1 in every 285 kids in Canada will be afflicted- so I know better. This is why I ride.  

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Another thing that struck me as I stood in front of his monument was that Terry truly united all Canadians together in a way that had not been truly done before. He epitomized hope for all.  When I first heard of Terry back in the 1980's, I did not grasp the full scope of his intentions. I just thought he was really cool. Now that I know what I know & have been touched by cancer in so many ways, I get it.  After my son died in 2014, I had a choice to make. My hope for Simon was gone...but I could still have hope for others.  My motto became " You can either succumb or Overcome".  I choose to overcome. I am now one of Terry's "Warriors of Hope". In fact, our whole team is (including riders & volunteers).  We are choosing to make a difference & NOT stand by & let others just succumb. We carry messages of hope to all the families that we meet.  Together we are making change. If you have an extra $1....could you part with it today? Every dollar counts.

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Terry Fox - Canadian icon. Also a victim of paediatric cancer. I remember seeing him on television when he did his run. I also had the honour of meeting his father Rolly Fox last year in BC during the 2015 SNKCR ride. He made the effort to come & see us at a lunch stop & we talked for a bit. He personally told me that when Terry was initially diagnosed & in hospital, he was in a ward with a number of other children younger than himself & he was so saddened at seeing other children ridden with cancer. It was just wrong in so many ways. So this is what triggered him into motion to do his run……& with one leg (the other had been amputated due to his cancer). …All with the aim to raise monies for cancer. He was just a boy himself but he had the attitude that anyone can make a difference if they try. He had the mentality that if every Canadian gave just $1 each-imagine what could be done for research. He was so selfless. When he first started his run, it was just he & a support vehicle & someone holding out a hat for donations. Little did he know how the momentum would gather. The press got bigger & bigger as he went along & the world now knew who Terry Fox was & what he was trying to achieve. Every day he literally ran (or hopped along) the equivalent to a marathon. I could not imagine doing that day after day & with only 1 real leg. Holy moly!! I remember how he ran & how he held clenched fists. He was in constant pain. He had tears streaming down his cheeks. The statue of him at Thunder Bay even depicts the tears he shed. The monies raised over the years & since his death in 1981 have been in the millions. He truly was remarkable & deserves the title of a true Canadian icon.

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