Friends and family of Hope Trimble-Willis, a Ponoka teen diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, converged on the Ponoka Community Golf Club Friday, May 29 to raise money in her support during the difficult times of healing.
Mother and organizer Kristy Willis said Trimble-Willis’ chemotherapy is negatively affecting her health due to an infectious disease called cryptosporidium. As the chemotherapy causes her immune system to weaken, the cryptosporidium becomes a danger for Trimble-Willis’ overall condition, explained her mother.
To counter the negative effects of the chemotherapy, she is also taking Neulasta, a drug that stimulates the growth of white blood cells in a person’s body. Neulasta is helping Trimble-Willis build up her bone marrow as well, so the cryptosporidium does not affect her negatively, explained Kristy.
She was pleased with the strong support from friends and family as her goal is to give her daughter a year to heal. “I don’t want her to work the next year. I just want her to take a year and be fully healed before she decides to go back to work.”
Kristy said her goal is for Trimble-Willis to be able to go back to school without having to worry about money. She was also pleased to see her daughter able to come out to the fundraiser and take some time to speak with guests.
Kristy said she is grateful to the strong community support.