Cancer survivor gives back to teachers who helped her
Although certainly not unscathed, Leora Wildi is a cancer survivor who has surpassed many serious health challenges and is now a thriving college student who just turned 23.
Wildi was diagnosed with two kinds of leukemia at the age of 14 and was near death when she and her mom Lynn were flown by air ambulance to B.C. Children’s Hospital just hours after her diagnosis on Dec. 30, 2009.
As a friend of the family for the last 18 years, I have only seen a few of the ups and downs and mostly from afar as Leora was treated in Vancouver while she and Lynn lived in Ronald McDonald House during the extensive two-year-orso treatment which was required to save Leora’s life.
Low points like when she stopped breathing during surgery, received the maximum radiation treatments a body can endure and experienced many bouts of excruciating pain that came with the side effects of the many medications she was forced to take to combat cancer and the ailments that come with it were so very hard to watch – even from a distance. But nobody likes to dwell on those memories and there were great moments of triumph as well.
One that stands out in my mind in particular was when I traveled to the Lower Mainland in 2013 to visit family and was able to connect with Leora and Lynn as Leora attended a G.F. Strong intensive rehabilitation program that offered an eight-week blast of physiotherapy to combat yet another side effect.
Leora’s tendons were seizing up, so walking heel-toe like the rest of us lucky ducks was impossible and using her hands that had curled up into little balls that got tighter and tighter over time was also a huge challenge. Leora was forced to walk on tip toe at an awkward angle that offered almost zero stability. But I must add that tenacious young lady teetered along as best she could whenever she could.
During my Vancouver visit in the summer of 2013, I was delighted when the two dynamic ladies accepted my dinner invitation to a small restaurant in the heart of Vancouver.
Lynn brought Leora to the restaurant using a wheelchair, a regular sight, as uneven sidewalks would pose a challenge and a fall could be devastating to the fragile, cancer-recovering young lady.
It left me stunned when we were all seated and Leora placed her hand on the table and it lay flat. Once I knew I could talk about it without sobbing, I quietly made mention of it.
Lynn leaned over to me and told me that Leora could walk with her heels down on the ground, too.
It was all thanks to the wonderful staff at G.F. Strong that made this small miracle happen. (Not to get too preachy but that’s what physio does for a body in need – we don’t have nearly enough physiotherapists to meet the demand in Prince George – that’s why Leora had to go there to begin with.)
When we left the restaurant Leora proudly walked down the street unassisted and flat-footed and we all cried with joy.
In this one little story, I cannot tell you the number of times this young woman just kept amazing all those who are privileged enough to be part of her world but let me just say she is an astounding, outgoing, feisty woman who wouldn’t be alive today if she didn’t will it to be so.
Leora is surrounded by dedicated family, including the unwavering support (and I mean never-leave-her-side support) of mother Lynn and younger sister Sarah, who steadfastly stood by the side of her sibling through her many, many struggles.
I told you that story about Leora to tell you this one. Leora was approached by Hope Air to share her journey of surviving cancer thanks to the excellent care she received at B.C. Children’s Hospital. Leora was able to fly to Vancouver thanks to Hope Air, which provides flights to those who need health care outside of their hometowns. It’s been years of backing and forthing for Lynn and Leora for treatment and extensive follow up and every time Hope Air was there providing the flight.
Leora didn’t hesitate to agree to help Hope Air and off on an adventure we all went.
You see, Leora wanted to give back to the community that supported her in the last nine years.
Hope Air and Studio M brought a documentary film crew to Prince George who helped organize and provide an event to a few of her supporters so that she might show her gratitude.
After waiting for what seemed like forever I finally got notice telling me at the last minute the location of the first phase of filming. I was to meet the film crew along with Leora’s longtime family friend, a wonderful woman Leora calls ‘Auntie’, Marianne Koops and Leora’s loyal bestie, Katrina Framst.
We waited on the street and were told absolutely nothing until an envelope was handed to us. We were on Leora’s scavenger hunt. This wasn’t Leora’s first rodeo as she had organized at least one such activity in the past simply because she loves scavenger hunts.
So suddenly the three of us were mic-ed up and walking down Third Avenue talking about the clue to finding a giant reptile in Prince George, which, of course, led us to The Exploration Place. We did our part at the museum as well and the clue from there led us to Northern Lights Winery where that evening, after much speculation, the entire group met Leora for a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. There were people from Ronald McDonald House, B.C. Children’s Hospital, local teachers who heavily influenced Leora’s educational path, friends and family.
There was so much ugly-crying going on during our greeting to Leora who was standing and walking unassisted and while she offered a most eloquent speech where she thanked us all for what we’d done for her throughout her cancer journey and beyond.
After we all sat in stunned silence for a while I said I hadn’t cried like that in a very long time and one of the teachers sitting across from me said she’d never cried so hard in her entire life.
As we chatted amongst ourselves words like surreal, whirlwind and unbelievable were thrown around as we each tried to understand the depth and breadth of what Leora was saying to us during her thank you speech.
The tables turned so quickly with us all leaning towards Leora in empathy and deep emotional connection, enthralled with her expressive words of gratitude that when she said the last sentence we were all shocked to hear it.
You see, Leora said she’d like to thank us all and also Hope Air for giving her the gift of flight and now she’d like to give the gift of flight to us. In a surprise announcement WestJet provided each of us with a flight for two anywhere they fly. And we all sat in stunned silence. The gears had switched too quickly. We could hardly react to the happy news for ourselves because the true gift was seeing Leora looking so healthy and breathtakingly beautiful as she gave her gut-wrenching speech and it was all too much to comprehend.
We did the take again and again before the camera crew was happy with our reaction.
I know I can speak for all those in attendance when I say thank you, Leora. You have taught all who know you what true determination, strength and tenacity looks like and you wear it beautifully. Thank you for being a source of continual inspiration and I have to tell you, Leora, that you put the whole world in perspective for me because if you can do what you’ve done and continue to fight and make your way in this world despite all the unspeakably difficult challenges you have overcome and have yet to face, the rest of us mere mortals should be able to do anything we want and never utter a whisper of complaint when life seems to gets too hard.