Beachburg, Ont. mother in need of $100K to afford life-saving cancer surgery
A young mother in the Ottawa Valley is hoping to raise $100,000 in order to afford life-saving cancer surgery in the United States.
In 2019, 29-year-old Paige Atherton was diagnosed with a rare, aggressive form of appendix cancer. It has recently turned into Stage 4 cancer.
Without treatment, her doctors have given her just six months left to live, but also say they cannot perform surgery.
"My surgeons in Toronto, they said that the disease was too progressed and they didn't feel safe continuing with the surgery," Atherton told CTV News Ottawa.
"They didn't feel that another surgeon in Canada would be willing to take on the case because of its complexity. It's been frustrating for me to say the least, because the surgery is available but the surgeons don't feel safe doing it."
Not giving up the fight, the mother of three young boys reached out to specialty surgeons in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
"They said that they think they can help, they can do something for me."
But the cost of the surgery is $100,000. Atherton says insurance will not cover the out of country expense, and her doctors are not confident in OHIP coverage, but she plans to apply anyways.
"It's scary because I'm definitely not somebody who has that in my back pocket," Atherton said.
Paige Atherton with her husband and three children. (Supplied)
A GoFundMe was started by Atherton's mother on Nov. 2 and has already raised more than $36,000.
On Saturday, a community fundraiser was held by Atherton's family to continue the push to $100,000.
"The opportunity is out there, we just need to give her a chance to have that," said Kirk Stewart, Atherton's uncle.
"Just trying to get whatever funds we could to get her the surgery," added her aunt Alicia Stewart. "Whether it's an extra year with her boys or 10 years with her boys."
Ticket sales, door prizes, and a silent auction all contributed to the event's fundraising total on Saturday. Kirk praised the Ottawa Valley's generosity, saying countless businesses throughout Renfrew County contributed.
"I don't think we're going to quite reach [the fundraising goal]," Stewart said for Saturday's event. "I'd love to say we would, but maybe with some more support. We're quite aware of the reality and it's just about hope."
For Atherton, a total of $100,000 is daunting, but is literally life or death for the 29-year-old.
Despite the adversity, she and her family still share hope.
"They're fairly optimistic that we will get a surgery date," says Atherton. "They were hoping for late winter, early spring."
Atherton says if she cannot receive the life saving surgery, any money received through fundraising will support her husband and three sons in her passing.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
There's actually no such thing as vegetables. Here's why you should eat them anyway
The rumours are true: Vegetables aren't real — that is, in botany, anyway. While the term fruit is recognized botanically as anything that contains a seed or seeds, vegetable is actually a broad umbrella term.
'It looked so legit': Ontario man pays $7,700 for luxury villa found on Booking.com, but the listing was fake
An Ontario man says he paid more than $7,700 for a luxury villa he found on a popular travel website -- but the listing was fake.
The Met Gala was in full bloom with Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Mindy Kaling among the standout stars
The Met Gala and its fashionista A-listers on Monday included Jennifer Lopez, Zendaya and a parade of others in a swirl of flora and fauna looks on a green-tinged carpet lined by live foliage.
Israeli forces seize Rafah border crossing in Gaza, putting ceasefire talks on knife's edge
Israeli tanks seized control of Gaza's vital Rafah border crossing on Tuesday as Israel brushed off urgent warnings from close allies and moved into the southern city even as cease-fire negotiations with Hamas remained on a knife's edge.
Canadian cadets rock mullets and place second at U.S. military competition
Sporting mullets, Canadian Armed Forces officer cadets placed second in an annual military skills competition in the U.S.
Highlights from the 2024 Met Gala exhibit: Sleeping Beauty would wake up for these gowns
Sure, she was a royal princess and all. But there’s no way Sleeping Beauty — either before or after her nap — ever had quite the fabulous wardrobe that’s been assembled at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Noelia Voigt resigns as Miss USA, citing her mental health
Noelia Voigt, who was crowned Miss USA in November 2023, has announced she is resigning from her role, saying the decision is in the best interest of her mental health.
Putin begins his fifth term as president, more in control of Russia than ever
Vladimir Putin began his fifth term Tuesday as Russian leader at a glittering Kremlin inauguration, setting out on another six years in office after destroying his political opponents, launching a devastating war in Ukraine and concentrating all power in his hands.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.