Transition to Betterness pays tribute to Prince
Thousands of cancer patients will be helped by Michelle Prince who died Sunday and is being remembered as an inspiration to live life to the fullest.
A funeral will be held Friday for Prince, a chiropractor and wife of former mayor Eddie Francis, who died after a five-year battle with cancer that she used to encourage others. She was 47.
“She was always a ray of sunshine and an inspiration to everyone,” Transition to Betterness executive director and friend Amber Hunter said Monday. Transition to Betterness will rename a program that provides totes for new chemotherapy patients as the Dr. Michelle Prince Comfort Care Tote Program. The comfort care totes were Prince’s idea, and the program was launched in May. Each year 1,000 patients will receive one of the totes and about 500 have already been distributed. “It meant a lot to her to get this off the ground,” Hunter said.
The value of each comfort-care tote is about $100, and it includes items that are helpful for newlydiagnosed patients undergoing chemotherapy such as a blanket, a journal for writing down reflections or reminders, special mouthwash, and ginger chews to reduce nausea. Prince had been through three surgeries and 80 cycles of chemotherapy and hand-picked items for the tote that patients could carry with them to treatment.
Hunter, who had known Prince for more than a dozen years, said her friend will be helping thousands of cancer patients in the coming years.
“She always wanted to be the catalyst for making the difference for others,” said Hunter. “She was a true advocate, a true inspiration for the patient.”
Windsor West MP Brian Masse gave a tribute to Prince in the House of Commons Monday, offering condolences and solidarity in celebrating her life to her husband and children.
“Please know our community feels this great loss. We will honour her request by living each and every day in the moment,” Masse said.
Prince raised money for the hospital and created a video to help coach others with cancer, Masse told other MPs.
“She celebrated positives and in doing so inspired many to do the same, always fighting, never surrendering to the disease. Michelle is a hero, and her story will remain on guard for those who need light in times of darkness.” Francis said he is overwhelmed by support from the community. “It shows our kids that their mom had a positive impact on so many lives.”
He spent Monday morning writing her obituary.
“We didn’t have things planned because somewhere for us to plan things would have meant that we were giving in,” Francis said Monday afternoon. “We never planned for her death because we were too busy making sure that we were living life, and that’s exactly what we did for the last five years.”
His wife would undergo chemotherapy every other week. She didn’t want cancer to define her, and she out-lived the year doctors thought possible when she was diagnosed with Stage 3 colon cancer in 2013, just after Francis announced he wouldn’t seek reelection. Her main concern was that Sienna, now 11, and Phoenix, now 9, would get to know her. A high-school friend had dropped off a chemotherapy kit when Prince was diagnosed, Francis said. He’s overwhelmed by the “wonderful, wonderful” gift Transition to Betterness has given the family by naming the program that was so dear to her after her. Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens said on social media that he was “so happy to have known this wonderful lady” and that Prince exemplified the term ‘joie de vivre.’ “Windsor won’t be the same without her but she’s left an indelible mark on everyone she met.” Windsor Chapel Funeral Home is handling the arrangements which will include a private visitation for family and friends Wednesday, a public visitation Thursday and a funeral Friday at Corpus Christi Church.