When you look at Alena Padovani, several things strike you. First of all, she's a beautiful young woman who exhibits poise well beyond her 15 years. Secondly, she looks the picture of health. But a year ago that wasn't the case.
Alena, this year's Cops for Cancer Tour official buddy for the Sunshine Coast riders, is entering her second year of remission from a particularly virulent form of lymphatic cancer.
Diagnosed on Jan. 18, 2007, Alena was just back from a Mexican holiday where her father Andre had realized there was something seriously the matter with his daughter's health.
For several months, Alena had been tired beyond the norm and had recurring rashes and problems with itchy skin. On her tropical vacation, these symptoms accelerated and new ones appeared. She developed a swelling in her neck that was so large her head listed to one side. And the teen ended up with severe back pain.
Immediately on returning home, Alena saw her family doctor again. This time tests indicated concern.
"You have to go to Children's Hospital [in Vancouver] right now," was the verdict.
Once there, Alena was scheduled for chemotherapy within the week and she got a name for her illness - Hodgkin's disease. To add to the worry, the cancer was at stage 3B, the third stage, where the disease had involved lymph node regions on both sides of her diaphragm.
She was, as Andre so graphically said, "as advanced as she could be without being terminal."
That began a learning odyssey for Alena's parents. They found out all they could from the Internet about that form of cancer, and then, in addition to Alena's oncologists in Vancouver, the Padovanis contacted a homeopath and a Chinese traditional doctor. Alena and her father credit the supplements the non-traditional practitioners recommended as well as the aggressive chemo treatments for saving her life and making a grim treatment tolerable.
"I never got sick once, never threw up at all," Alena shared.
And the only time her blood levels were dangerously low was once when she ran out of the supplements. Another plus was Alena ended up needing no blood transfusions in spite of predictions to the contrary.
So far PET (a specialized scan that picks up any trace of cancer) and CAT scans have come back negative. So now the most important thing for this amazing young woman is getting on with Grade 10 and doing what she can to fight cancer. She and her friends will be making special bracelets to sell to support the Cops for Cancer Tour.
For their part, the two Sechelt RCMP officers who will be riding in this year's Tour are looking forward to representing the Coast on this annual event.Constables Ashley Taylor and Candice Ellerbrok are not much older than their young inspiration for this year's ride. While Taylor has never done any bike riding, Ellerbrok is a mountain biker. Neither woman is looking forward to the challenging hills on the route.
Taylor jokes that her new nickname is "Constable Crashley" in honour of the number of times she's met the pavement in her learning phase. She's also proud to add that since signing up for the Tour, she has gone on to train for the local bike patrol. Lively and vivacious, she looks forward to doing her part for both Alena and the community. A native of Terrace, B.C., Taylor has been here since completing basic training in the RCMP a year ago.
Ellerbrok is a lot further away from her home in Cape Breton. She loves the Coast's resemblance to her home province. She's pragmatic about the riding part of the Tour: "The wheels go around and then you pedal. Pray for no rain."
The first fundraising event scheduled this year is the annual ladies' night. For the first time, it will be held at Holy Family Catholic Church in West Sechelt on Sept. 11. The $50 tickets go on sale at the local RCMP detachment Sept. 5. Tickets always go fast, so act quickly if you plan to attend this marvelous event. Building on the success of last year, the local RCMP detachment will be out in full force again to ensure a great time for those lucky enough to get tickets. For more information, call the Sechelt detachment at 604-886-2266. And remember that number if you'd like to make a donation to this worthy cause.
The Tour strives to raise money to fund research in the detection and diagnosis of childhood cancers. It also supports programs for children, teens and their families, including summer camps, referrals to cancer-support groups, access to accurate information about types of cancer and assistance with transportation and emergency financial aid if needed.
The Tour leaves Richmond on Sept. 17 and makes its way to the Sunshine Coast for the next two days. Plan to come out and cheer on these caring cops. You can make a difference in the lives of youngsters all over B.C. and especially cancer patients in our own back yard.
