THE Millerd family knows a thing or two about pulling together.
The close-knit North Shore clan faced the ultimate test last year when daughter, Ali, 23, was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, a cancer of the bone marrow and the blood that, without treatment, progresses quickly.
The devastating news rocked the family - parents Mary and Don, and Ali's sisters Jenn, Lisa and Margot. Each family member rallied in their own way - from cancelling a wedding to donating stem cells - to ensure their youngest member got well.
"I am very proud of all the gifts our daughters have that have become so abundantly visible: generosity, gratitude and love," says Mary.
After a tough year of extensive hospitalizations and ongoing treatment, the Millerds are happy to report that Ali's leukemia is now considered to be in remission. Realizing how lucky they are, the family has once again come together, but this time to support others facing a similar diagnosis, as well as in honour of those who've succumbed to a blood cancer.
Along with a few extended family members and friends, all six Millerds have committed to walking next weekend's BMO Vancouver Half Marathon, Sunday, May 6, in hopes of raising $30,000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada through its fundraising and supportive training program, Team in Training.
"We were surprised by cancer," says Mary, 57, a West Vancouver resident. "Ali was the last member in our family we would think of getting sick."
"It was shocking and it took a long time to absorb the reality of living with a loved one with a life threatening illness," she adds.
Ali received her diagnosis in May 2011. Feeling fatigued, often finding herself out of breath and suffering numerous bruises, she went to the doctor and was immediately sent for a blood test.
"I went one morning and by that night they had called me in for a blood transfusion," she says, adding she was then transferred from Lions Gate Hospital to Vancouver General Hospital, where she remained for the following two and a half months.
Ali underwent a few rounds of chemotherapy and then a stem cell transplant in August 2011.
"We were lucky that she had a sibling match," says Lisa, 26, who was her donor.
"It was really great to be able to make a physical contribution to (Ali's) healing," she adds.
While Ali is currently on medication to treat graft versus host disease, which can follow a stem cell transplant and develops when the donor's immune cells mistakenly attack the patient's normal cells, her cancer has been in remission since December 2011.
Ali's life is slowly returning to normal. Having just finished her second year at Capilano University when she received her diagnosis, she had been planning to go to the University of British Columbia that fall, which she was forced to put on hold for a year. She's currently taking an online class and will head to UBC this September. She hopes to complete a bachelor's degree in psychology and one day work with children as an educator.
Ali has decided to take an advocacy role and has applied to work at the Canadian Cancer Society's Camp Goodtimes this summer, and will serve as an Honoured Teammate for future Team in Training participants. She is also planning to walk in the North Shore Relay For Life June 9.
"Ali's attitude was amazing; her courage, strength and love carried her through and helped to carry us through," says Mary.
The rest of the Millerds are also interested in giving back. While they're grateful that Ali is in recovery, they know there's still a long way to go in terms of available treatment options, says Jenn, 31, who was forced to cancel her wedding last year as Ali was in the hospital and wouldn't have been able to attend.
"We feel so lucky to have benefitted from what other people have done in terms of research and fundraising and things like that and so we just want to give back to the future people and to those types (of blood cancers) that still need a lot more work before they can be cured," says Jenn.
Margot brought up the idea of participating in a Team in Training event, and the family is currently $6,000 away from its fundraising goal.
"We had a lot of people who were just really generous, a lot of family and friends," says Jenn.
"It's been a really good way for people who care about Ali to show their support," adds Lisa.
Their fundraising efforts will support the search for cures for blood cancers like leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma.
While the Millerds have always been a close family, their experiences over the last year have brought them even closer.
"There was a real sense of connectedness, as hard as it was," says Mary. "We talked about important things. We've always been pretty open, but I think we've become more open and more caring."
To support the Millerd family's fundraising efforts, visit tinyurl.com/teamali.
For more information on the: Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada, visit www.llscanada. org; Team in Training, visit www.teamintraining.ca; the BMO Vancouver Marathon and Half Marathon, visit www. bmovanmarathon.ca; Canadian Blood Services, visit www.blood. ca; and, the One Match Stem Cell and Marrow Network, visit www.onematch.ca.
