In today's episode, I am speaking with two representatives from Make-A-Wish® Canada.

You are very likely familiar with Make-A-Wish Canada. This is the charitable organization that grants wishes to children with critical illnesses. But you may not be aware of some of the interesting facts about Make-A-Wish Canada that I learned from this conversation:

• In 2023, Make-A-Wish Canada brought wishes to 1,389 wish kids and their families across Canada.
• A wish might be a chance to travel, to meet a celebrity, to have an experience, or to have an item or piece of equipment. And some kids are hoping to realize other dreams like recording a song or writing a book. The wish coordinators are so thoughtful and creative at helping kids to uncover their wishes and bringing them to life.
• Nearly 50% of children in Canada waiting for a wish have been diagnosed with Cancer. Wishes are considered to be an essential part of treatment and can even improve outcomes.

In the words of Make-A-Wish Canada, “Wishes are transformative, replacing fear with confidence, sadness with joy, and anxiety with hope. Make A Wish believes that through these experiences, children can discover that anything is possible.”

If you are interested in getting involved with Make-A-Wish Canada, either to donate, to fundraise or to volunteer, you can find them online at makeawish.ca.

In this episode, I have the honour of sharing my conversation with Jessica Hill. I first learned of Jessica, and her daughter Addy, in September of 2023, when Sick Kids Hospital posted a story about a new initiative called Precision Child Health.

The post featured an enormous crystal ball that was filled with colourful mist. At the unveiling, beside the crystal ball, stood a family who spoke about the young teen who inspired the campaign. That teen was Addison Hill, or Addy, as she is affectionately called.

I watched Jessica’s speech, and I was in awe at how a grieving mother could demonstrate such strength and hope, I needed to know more, so I followed along. I went on to learn about Addy’s experience with childhood cancer, and the work that her family has done since Addy's death to raise awareness for angiosarcoma, and to fulfill Addy’s wish to raise funds for cancer research, specifically for the work of Addy’s oncologist and his team, in order to do more for all the other kids out there with this disease.

Jessica herself is a force. She is tireless, committed, so well-spoken, and approaching this situation with so much grace and compassion. I feel so fortunate to have met her, and it is my great honour to share her story with you here.

You can learn more, and watch the documentary about Addy at https://www.teamaddy.ca/addys-story
https://www.instagram.com/teamaddy8/

In this episode, we hear the story of actor and comedian Daniel Stolfi. Daniel was diagnosed with Lymphoma when he was 25 years old. Like every cancer warrior, Daniel’s story is remarkable. He kept a journal throughout his treatment, and before his treatment was even over, he wrote and performed an award-winning one-man comedy show called Cancer Can’t Dance Like This. It was met with rave reviews! He has performed this show at venues across North America, and in the process, he has raised more than $100,000 for cancer research.

Daniel has also written a book, his memoir, called The Comedian vs. Cancer. His perspective is so fun, so unexpected and so refreshing. There is just something about being able to laugh along with Daniel to make us all feel a little better about this brutal and unbelievable situation.

You can find Daniel online at youandmeent.com and on Instagram at @stolficomedy.