Two cancer diagnoses in one family inspire BRIGHT Run fundraising effort
There are moments when a woman and her daughter-in-law can bond over shared experiences, finding ways to become closer and building deeper family ties.
But for Gerri Nyman and her daughter-in-law, Jerilee Nyman, an experience that linked to them was anything but joyous.
They both faced down the spectre of a cancer diagnosis.
Gerri was diagnosed with stage two breast cancer in 2016 following a routine mammogram.
I was totally caught off guard because I had no signs, no symptoms, nothing until I went for my mammogram," she said. I had to go back in to have another mammogram, they did an ultrasound. They did a biopsy right away. And within a week of the biopsy, it was confirmed that I had breast cancer."
Surgery and 16 rounds of radiation followed. The cancer was removed, but she still takes anti-estrogen medications as a precaution to prevent the cancer from returning.
She considered doing a fundraising run to help support cancer research. She even raised money for the CIBC Run for the Cure, but a death in the family and other events kept her from actually doing it.
Until Jerilee was diagnosed in 2020.
It was stage four cancer, meaning it has spread to her skeleton. It was incurable.
Jerilee didn't cave, however. The pair spoke about Gerri's experience, for which she had kept a meticulous journal that included what treatment was like and what to expect next.
There's a connection, for sure. She generally saw that I was doing well. Even though I was stage two and she was stage four, we always had the hope because people can have a stage four and have the treatment and still live for years," Gerri said.
It was Jerilee who first saw a banner for the BRIGHT Run one day while going for treatment at the Juravinski Cancer Centre.
She called me and said, we have to do this because she just wanted to give back for the treatment that she was receiving at Juravinski. I received mine at Juravinski as well, but hers was very intense, including chemo," Gerri said. But she wanted to do something to give back."
So mother and daughter-in-law signed up, created a family squad called Bust A Move, and started raising money for local breast cancer research. They ran together for two years.
We always had the hope through treatment and through breast cancer research that she was there was a possibility she could have a long life ahead of her. Unfortunately, that didn't happen," said Gerri. But there we did everything together. There was an incredible bond."
Jerilee lost her fight with cancer in February.
But her mother-in-law and her family are continuing to run to raise money in her memory. Bust A Move will be on the road on Sept. 10 for BRIGHT Run's first full post-pandemic event. The non-competitive 1km/5 km walk/run will be held at the Dundas Valley Conservation Area.
I think the big thing is with BRIGHT Run, it's run by volunteers. And every dollar raised goes to breast cancer research. And it's what BRIGHT Run stands for: Breast cancer research in the Greater Hamilton area," said Gerri.
For more information about BRIGHT Run, including how to participate, go online to https://brightrun.ca.
Grant LaFleche is an investigative reporter with The Spectator. Reach him via email: glafleche@torstar.ca