Danita Needs your help

Danita Daigle from the Comox Valley is in desperate need of your help. Please read below for her story and please give generously.

2021:

At the beginning of July of this year, Danita noticed a lump in her groin area, and in a matter of days it doubled in size, she knew then it wasn't just a pulled muscle, and her worst fears were revealed that it was a lymph node. She was immediately sent to a surgeon who did her 1st surgery the next day. It was a week later and the pathology report came back as stage 3 aggressive malignant melanoma in her lymph node, with no known main source. 

After seeing many specialists trying to find where her cancer started, they have had no luck yet. In September Danita heads back to Victoria for a major long surgery that will be a hard recovery, before starting treatment.

Danita is a wonderful, loving person looking at a long road to recovery, all while continuing to care for her mom. This battle will have her off work for up to a year and she is soon to lose her benefits, which will be an added burden. At this time she can use all the help she can get.

Danita has worked at Courtenay Superstore since September of 1996,  25 years next month. She started as a cashier for years and then took a backup supervisor position, which she enjoyed very much. When the position for a front-end supervisor came up she applied and was successful at getting it. She truly enjoys her job, and always has. Danita has a good relationship with her co-workers and truely adores many of my customers whom over the years have become more like family.  

Because Danita will be unable to return to work for at least a year we are trying to raise enough so that she can focus on getting better without financial worries. Please join us in supporting this amazing woman in her journey, now when she needs us most.

Update April 2022:
This is an update I was hoping I would never have to do. I had another scan and it showed I had at least 2 new enlarged lymph nodes. I then went for a biospy to see exactly why...sadly yesterday I got the call that it was positive for metastatic malignant melanoma. This means my treatments are not working and my cancer has spread. Certainly not the news we were hoping for. I will be heading back to Victoria again to start this whole process all over. Most of you know I am also the sole caregiver of my elderly mother and this is extremely hard on her as well. It's insane how we have to worry about the financial burden when going through such a stressful time. Again I would like to thank every one of you for your financial and emotional support. Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers as I start this journey all over again.

Update May 2022:
Wanted to let you know that I head to Victoria this coming week for another P.E.T. scan...then next week to meet with my surgeon and again on the 29th for a "deep inguinal dissection of the groin at 6 a.m. on the 30th. This is the same surgery I had last time and I am terrified as I know what I went through the before. Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers.