You're invited to Trish's Sweet Dreams Pyjama Party for Stem Cell Transplan Unit Expansion!  

Stem cell transplants save lives, and grant Sweet Dreams every day! Trish’s Sweet Dream is to live to be a grandmother. Support her Sweet Dreams and the dreams of others by participating in our Pyjama Party June 8th for Stem Cell unit expansion at Juravinski Hospital.

Here are 4 ways to participate:

1) Sign up your team - Register for free here

Step 1 - Send out your Pyjama Party invites to family and friends; share your #SweetDreamsSFY pics leading up to the Pyjama Party to build awareness and excitement!

Step 2 - Host your pyjama party, with a goal of raising $400 for the #SweetDreamsSFY campaign, or $40 / friend on June 8th (or other date that works for your team)

Step 3 - Share your Teams Sweet Dreams [Examples Here] and your pics using #SweetDreamsSFY during your event on your social media platform to help build awareness of this campaign.

2) Sign up your company team - Register for free here

Step 1 - Send out an internal invite with date for Pyjama party, asking staff to wear their pyjamas to join in the fun, and bring a few dollars to donate to the campaign, share your #SweetDreamsSFY pics leading up to the campaign to build awareness and excitement!

Step 2 - Have a pyjama party at work on June 8th ( or other date that works for your corporate team) Who says pyjamas can’t be business casual?

Step 3 - Share your Teams Sweet Dreams [Examples Here] and your pics using #SweetDreamsSFY during your Pyjama Party on your company’s social media platforms to help build awareness of this campaign.

3) Sign up yourself!  Register for free here

Step 1 - Share your #SweetDreamsSFY pics leading up to the campaign to build awareness and excitement!

Step 2  Wear pyjamas to school or work June 8th, collecting donations from friends and family to support the campaign.

Step 3 - Share your Sweet Dreams [Examples Here] and your pics using #SweetDreamsSFY on your social media platforms to help build awareness of this campaign.

4) Sponsor a team or participant - Click here to sponsor an active team or participant

Every sweet dream is worth granting  we thank you for your support in making Trish’s and others Sweet Dreams come true!

Trish’s Sweet Dreams Pyjama Party Campaign is part of the larger Tomorrow Stems from You campaign, supporting expansion of the Stem Cell Unit at Juravinski Hospital in Hamilton, Ontario.

To learn more about this campaign, please copy this address into your browser: http://events.hamiltonhealth.ca/site/TR?fr_id=1730&pg=entry

Rotary Club of Hamilton AM members dress for the occasion!

My Story
Hi.  My name is Trish and I’ve been asked to tell my story.  But, what was my story.  I’ve been on this journey for 18 yrs, so I had to sit down and think back to when and how it all started. 

And so this is my story.

It all started with a severe back ache that was debilitating.   I went to the chiropractor and after two appointments, the pain was even worse.  He told me I needed to see my doctor.  That appointment resulted in having an ultra sound done.  Before the results were in, I was back at the doctors again in agonizing pain.  She called for the results and that was the moment my life changed forever.  I had trouble breathing.  I felt numb.  I had Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma.  Ironically, I had no idea what this meant but my instinct told me it wasn’t good.

After a series of tests and a biopsy, my protocol was finalized and my chemotherapy began.  I went on with life as best that I could at keeping it “normal” for my family.  The boys were only 8 & 12.

I managed through the treatment quite well.  Thanks to the enormous love and support of family and friends. Chemo was done and I was cleared.   My follow up appointments grew further apart.  Life was good.

Then there was, what I called “a glitch”.  It had returned in the orbit of my eye.  Nothing a bit of radiation wouldn’t help to melt away.

Then about two years later, it was back with more of a vengeance.  My doctor spoke the words I  didn’t want to hear. I needed a stem cell transplant.  I was engulfed with fear.  I guess because I wasn’t sure what was involved.  All I knew was that my life was in the hands of my doctor, Dr. Marcellus and my nurse Shannon.

Again things happened quickly.  Treatment started three days after test results were in.  I had to quit work immediately.  I was pretty much housebound except for appointments to take every precaution not to get sick.  I had lost all control of my life.

My experience was made easier again by having enormous love and support.  I did well with treatment and was back to work two months after my transplant.

I think of my stem cell transplant as a “miracle”.  Imagine, we have been given the knowledge and know how to cure cancers with our own bodies or that of others.  Imagine.  Truly a miracle.

Cancer is a journey that fills your life with fear and enormous pain, both mentally and physically.  It reaches to your very soul. Your life never really is the same. How could it after going through such an experience.

As my husband once said, it’s a chapter in the book of our lives together.  So that’s how I look at it each time I needed treatment.  A chapter opens and I close it so that I can open the next chapter and continue my life.  Spending time with my family and friends and looking forward to those chapters where I become a mother-in-law and a grandma.

So, now it’s simple.  We have the ability.  Now we need the facility.  And that’s where you come in. The Juravinski Hospital has been given a government grant to assist in building a facility to house 21 units or hospital rooms.  Units that are needed to save more lives.  During the stem cell transplant process you must be isolated during the hospital stay.  Right now there are only 6 units.  The grant will not cover the cost in its entirety or the upkeep.

 We never know when cancer is going to strike or who.  It could be you, a family member or friend.  It could happen tomorrow.  We all need to join in the fight against cancer.  You can’t sit back and be complacent and think its never going to happen to you or someone you love.  So please step up and do your part.