After going through one of the most trying journeys of her life, Madena Reimer has come out a warrior and a survivor in the battle against breast cancer. In her fight to bring hope to others who are going through similar experiences, Reimer and her family will be taking part in their fifth year in the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation CIBC Run For The Cure on September 30.
Reimer and her team (the Reimer Warriors) have begun their fundraising campaign and all proceeds will be given to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. Last year her team raised about $8,500 and she hopes to do even better this time around.
It’s not all about the money though. For Reimer, it’s about spreading awareness and raising hope in others. This is Reimer’s own fifth year anniversary of being cancer-free and in remission. Her inspiration for all this from the very day Reimer was diagnosed has been her daughter Janaya.
“Now that I’ve survived this, I’m doing everything I can do to help others and give them hope,” Reimer said. “My biggest reason for doing this has always been my daughter and five years ago we decided as a family to do this run every year until we can’t do it anymore or we have found a cure.
“We need to keep hope and faith for the future and believe that there is a cure out and there I 100 per cent believe there is and we just have to find it. We do this for other women and for my daughter and hope for future generations to be breast cancer free. I run for us all, I run for hope, and I run for the cure. When I look at my daughter’s face, she gives me all the inspiration I will ever need, knowing that I never want her to hear those words.”
There is typically nothing good about having cancer and so many people are struck down by it, but Reimer has taken her new lease on life to heart.
“In the blink of an eye, everything can change, and when you least expect it, you are on a course that you could have never planned, into a future you never imagined,” Reimer said. “That was five years ago — the day I thought I was given the death sentence. Little did I know the day I thought I was going to die was the day I started living. For every moment of pain, there has been one of joy; for every moment of fear, there has been one of hope.
“Cancer slowed me down and sent me in a different direction and now I have a passion and a mission. I want to bring hope and support to others who might not know how to get through. When I first was diagnosed people were telling me about all the other people they knew who died from the disease but what I needed to hear is how many people survived and got through it. I want to help inspire others and let them know that they aren’t alone in this fight.”
Part of Reimer’s reason for doing the Run for the Cure is to send a message out to others that they really aren’t alone.
“In this journey of life, even though we may begin at different times and places, our paths cross with others so that we may share our compassion and hope,” Reimer said. “To all you survivors, be thankful that you are alive and are able to celebrate life.
“The scars carved deep into our chests to preserve our lives represent an emblem of a successful battle against the terrible enemy. The scar is evidence of our path to the women we are today. Without it to remind us as we get dressed each day, we might forget how far we have come. It’s my life wound and my battle medal, and every day that I challenge this cancer and survive is a victory for me.”
For Reimer, she said the fear and the emotion that came along with the diagnosis never really goes away but she is grateful for her family and friends that have stood by her and knows that she couldn’t do what she has done without them.
“I’m so thankful to have had my kids, my family, and my friends to help me through all this, especially my husband Randy who has been my rock,” Reimer said. “I’ve had five long bonus years with the ones I love, which is more than some people get. My family has been there for me every step of the way and has met mountains and has climbed them and soared alongside me. There are no guarantees in life that tomorrow is going to bring something different and you can only hope for something better. I have cancer, but cancer doesn’t have me. We can find a cure and we will. We have to.”
The Run for the Cure is so important to Reimer because she knows the money raised will be put to good use to find a cure. Reimer said she’s beginning to fundraise in her hometown of Athabasca and starting with friends, family, and local businesses, but she knows the same people can’t donate all the time and hopes that others will either join the run or donate as well.
For those interested in signing up, or donating to the Reimer Warriors, visit www.runforthecure.com/ and select “Edmonton” and then the “Reimer Warriors.”.
