Let’s give hope to HopeSpring

Re: HopeSpring launches campaign to save centre — Feb. 16

I would not be where I am today if it weren’t for HopeSpring Cancer Support Centre. Its role in my cancer treatment was just as vital as what was prescribed to me by my oncologists.

Within HopeSpring, I found a community of knowledgeable, caring people who understood what I was going through; professionals and volunteers who freely offered up the mental and spiritual tools I needed to ease my emotional and physical burdens, and peers with whom I could commiserate. I was comforted, affirmed, educated, and inspired. HopeSpring was an invaluable source of information and support during my battle with cancer. It quite literally changed my life.

Cancer does not discriminate. Knowing that HopeSpring exists provides me with peace of mind in the midst of the fear and uncertainty accompanying this harsh reality, even though I am now considered a survivor.

The Hope for HopeSpring fundraising campaign was launched to raise the $400,000 needed to keep its doors open for another year. Achieving this goal will not only allow its current users to continue to benefit from existing programming, it will also provide the time necessary for re-evaluation of its operating structure. By putting a sustainable framework in place for delivery of its programs, HopeSpring’s services can be offered to those impacted by cancer over the long-term.

I feel a deep sense of pride that HopeSpring is part of cancer care in the Waterloo Region, and that this independent, grassroots organization is supported by the community. Let’s give our families, friends, neighbours, and colleagues who may be touched by cancer — whether now or in the future — the hope they need. Sairin Hayes Waterloo