Running support

When Lindsay Gaw-Martin learned that her 10-year-old-cousin had a rare brain tumour she wanted to do something for her, so she decided her annual walk in her honour.

Doctors diagnosed Kayley Lobbecke with Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma, a tumour located in the middle of the brain stem, in June 2010. She received treatment but doctors cannot surgically remove the tumour.

On average, the survival time is between nine to 12 months after diagnosis.

Before Kayley became sick, she lived an active life and often played outside and went to her gymnastics class. Lindsay Gaw-Martin, Kayley’s cousin, often took her seven-year-old daughter Emily to the same gymnastics class. Gaw-Martin said Kayley now paints with her father.

When Gaw-Martin found out about the news she wanted to do something to show support for her cousin. Each year, Gaw-Martin and a group of about 25 women participate in the United Way Run for Women fundraiser in May. They traditionally donated to Camp Quality but at this year’s event, they dedicated that donation in honour of Kayley.

Gaw-Martin said she first expected maybe 50 people would attend but on Saturday when the run took place, more than 110 participants showed their support for Kayley. They all wore t-shirts that read Kayley’s Angels.

"I’m very happy, you feel like you can’t do anything when something like that happens but at least with this we’re all coming together as a group to support her," Gaw-Martin said. "It is so nice to see so many people. It’s family, its friends, and acquaintances of the family and all the people that Kayley has touched. Everyone is coming together to walk in her honour."

Kayley wasn’t able to attend the walk but her angels grouped together for a photo. Gaw-Martin said her cousin likes to see people and her Grade 4 class went to go see her on her last week to wish her a happy birthday.

For Gaw-Martin and the rest of the family, making Kayley happy is top priority, she said.

"We want her to be happy right now and as comfortable as she can be," she said. "Hopefully we can take our nice group picture, our signs and we can put it up in her house and hopefully it will make her smile and let her know that she is loved by lots of people."

She added that they hoped to raise more than $2,000 for Camp Quality.

Kayley’s Angels joined more than a 1,000 other women at the 32 annual United Way run. Wendy Siltamaki, MC for the run, said they expected to raise more than $20,000.

"Everybody is out here for the right reasons with their mothers, their daughters, their sisters and grandmothers," Siltamaki said. "They are here for the United Way. We’re honouring women. It’s what we want to do. We want to bring awareness to women’s needs and to abuse against women."