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Alicia is a wonderful hockey mom that I had the pleasure of meeting. She stood out to me as a kind, friendly and gracious person. She is the type that saw my lonely self (watching my son practice from the stands) and instead of walking by -  she marched right over to me, introduced herself and struck up a lovely conversation. After a few roars of laughter, that moment forever remained imprinted in my mind. She had this magical super power of making me feel great at a time that I felt stressed. For her session, I felt a sprinkle of Hollywood glamour would be a fantastic fit. A soft smokey eye with some big curls. Here is her #FACEIT story that she has chosen to share, with the hope that it helps others who have loved ones that are battling Cancer. 

 

“My mom has terminal cancer. Since receiving the news, we’ve had to go through the ups and downs as a family. She was diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer 6 yrs ago now and has had to deal with it many times. It has been such a major emotional rollercoaster. With that, music and talking with her has helped so much, because as painful as it might be - she understands what she is going through. My mom is essentially a miracle. She was only given 5 years and right now we are way past that time already, which is a huge HUGE thing for us. My mom is literally living one day at a time, and with that she is teaching me that no matter what happens - we take it one day at a time too. So just keep living and be present because our time is so precious. It has given us the chance to bond even more, and has been fantastic to have one another, as we go through this emotional rollercoaster together. 

 

This past summer we went to a Garth Brooks concert together, that we’ve wanted to go to forever. She had just finished chemo that Tuesday and we did up a big sign to bring to the concert. The concert was on the Saturday and in those few days, Saturday would have typically been the day she’d have a ‘weak day’ post chemo. Instead she had a fantastic day, and wasn’t very tired. Garth Brooks looked over, acknowledged the sign we had brought and gave her a thumbs up. I got a  high five and a selfie! Through this experience, we shared a moment that only belonged to us.” 

 

Do you feel like you have the support your family needs, here in Cold Lake?

 

“Absolutely. The amount of people here, that check in to see how my mom is, is unbelievable. Most don’t even know my mom, and yet they always ask and check in. Which means so much.”

 

Do you have any advice for others who have family members with Cancer? 

 

“You never know what is going to happen. With us especially since Ovarian Cancer was almost foreign to us. We expected Breast Cancer because of her family history, but we quickly learned not to count our eggs before they hatch. Take everyday to the fullest, as hard as it is sometimes because life does happens. It really is amazing to see the things that can come out of these days. Even though they might not have the greatest ending but at least we get to be present.”

 

What do you want more of in Cold Lake? What does this #FACEIT campaign mean to you?

 

Acceptance is a huge thing, but more of just talking to people. Being open with each other and not hide what we are going through, is so important. With this FACEIT campaign, you can open up and help others. Think of the amount of people this could help. You never know how big your words will be and mean, in such a small area!