"She's very kind, positive. She's an awesome mom. She's the best," Linda Wright's voice trembled as she tried to hold back tears while describing her beloved daughter, Lindsey.
When Lindsey Lewis put her two children to bed Sept. 8, she never imagined it would be the last time this month she would get to hug them.
The day began with the 35-year-old mother dropping off Mikayla, 10, and Kaleb, 6, for their first day of school and ended with Lewis cheering her daughter on at a soccer game.
After homeschooling her kids since March and running her daycare throughout the pandemic, Lewis thought the first day of school would be the start of a bit of a break.
Shortly after putting her kids to sleep, Lewis began feeling pain. She asked her ex-husband to come over to stay with the children and called an ambulance to take her to Southlake Regional Health Centre's emergency department.
She thought it might be a blood clot, Wright said. She never dreamed she would be given the devastating news that she had acute myeloid leukemia (AML) — a rapidly progressing form of blood cancer.
According to Wright, Southlake doesn't treat AML and the Newmarket hospital didn't have a bed available, so Lewis spent the night waiting to be transferred to Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto.
Lewis immediately began undergoing chemotherapy 24 hours per day for seven straight days. The treatment left Lindsey with an almost non-existent immunity.
"Most cancers you can cut out. With leukemia you can't cut it, you have to kill it," Wright said.
Wright is one of only two people allowed to visit Lewis in person. Ongoing hip ailments haven't stopped her from being at her daughter's bedside as much as she can — getting lifts, using the GO train and Uber to be with her during visiting hours.
"I've been trying to stay with her as much as I can, getting rides to the hospital."
Wright said the worst part for Lewis is not being able to see her kids. Princess Margaret doesn't allow children under 12 into the hospital and it's taking an emotional toll on Lewis.
According to Wright, four days after she was admitted, the hospital gave Lewis special permission to see her kids from an outdoor patio, and again last weekend.
According to Lewis' aunt, Donna Walton, leaving the hospital patio after seeing her mom was very difficult for Mikayla.
"Kids their age aren't aware of the gravity of the situation," she said, "except that mom's away."
Lewis is hoping to be able to eat breakfast with her kids virtually but hasn't been feeling up to it, Wright said.
"She tries but she's been very, very sick. Some days she just couldn't."
"And now we're waiting for her hair all to fall out and all the other stuff that goes with it," she added.
The morning after Lewis went to the hospital, her kids woke up to find mom gone and their father in their home. Lewis' ex-husband has been caring for their kids in her home in an effort to minimize disruption to their schedules.
The kids have been told that Lewis has cancer but not which kind.
"Her oldest is savvy enough to be able to Google it and it's just a little too frightening," Wright said.
Wright said that there is no prognosis yet — more has to be done. Now that she has completed the first round of chemotherapy, Lewis will undergo five straight days of out-patient chemotherapy with a few days off to rest and another five days after that.
The family are being tested to see if they are a match in case Lewis has to undergo a stem cell transplant. If they're not, a search will go out through the Canadian Blood Services Stem Cell Registry that searches Canada and the world for a match.
Wright said they are hoping it doesn't come to that, but the family and doctors are being proactive. The anguish is obvious in her voice but Wright said everyone is trying to stay positive and her daughter is taking it one day at a time.
"It came about so quickly and already she's in the thick of treatments trying to deal with what's ahead," Walton said.
Lewis' diagnosis is one more devastating battle the family has to deal with.
Lewis's brother took his life 18 years ago and Wright had stage-three melanoma a decade ago. Just one day before Lewis was admitted to hospital, Wright's husband had undergone a chemotherapy treatment for his stage four colon cancer diagnosis.
Throughout the overwhelming situation, the family continues to think positively. Wright said they haven't been given a prognosis yet but she hopes that her daughter "gets through this and ends up on the other side."
"It's pretty unbelievable that all this can happen to one family," Walton said. "I don't know how my sister stands up some days."
Along with a career and caring for her two young children, Lewis volunteers with Seasons Centre for Grieving Children in Barrie. The organization supports children who have suffered a loss — something with which she and her family are all too familiar.
Lewis has always been an advocate for mental health issues, Walton said, "and certainly one of the hardest things she's finding right now is her own mental health in dealing with this diagnosis."
"She's a wonderful young woman, devoted to her children, always there for anyone who needs assistance when they need it. She's just a very caring positive girl. I'm sure that will carry her through a lot of what she's got ahead of her."
As a child care provider, Lewis is beloved by both the children she cares for and their parents and the esteem in which they hold her is reflected in the words of support and love posted to the GoFundMe page set up by Walton to help Lewis with expenses while she receives treatment.
"Lindsey has been an amazing caregiver to my two children. She is a beautiful person inside and out," said one individual.
"Lindsey, you’re such an amazing mom. I know your strength and you will kick cancer's ass to the door!" said another.
Donations have reached just over $20,000, which Walton said was "amazing, overwhelming."
"When you ask people to help they usually do, especially in the Newmarket community," she said.
Lewis has heard about the GoFundMe page and the heartfelt comments left by members of the community. She wanted to thank everyone individually, Walton said, but decided that posting to her Facebook page would reach the most people.
"Had some energy to look at my phone today. So many messages and so much love. Thanks guys. I feel so lucky to have so many amazing people in my life. Your love and support means the world to me. The journey ahead is a long one. Most days the mental battle is the toughest part. Taking it one breath at a time," Lewis said in a post on her Facebook page.
To donate, visit Lewis' GoFundMe page.
