A childhood cancer survivor who helped raise money in Okotoks more than a decade ago, is back at it again.
“I was diagnosed at age 11 with A-L-L leukemia and I was on treatment until I was 14,” said Jennifer Rogers, a 2007 graduate of Foothills Composite High School. “Fortunately, I was in remission within about eight days, but they kept me in treatment so it wouldn’t come back.”
Rogers and her family – her mother worked for the Town of Okotoks at the time – helped organize a head-shaving fundraiser during Jennifer’s cancer treatments.
Now Rogers is helping host the riders participating in the Coast to Coast Against Cancer bike ride on Sept. 6 in Okotoks.
She recalls how scary it was to hear that word cancer as an 11-year-old – and seeing was believing.
“I remember the day I was diagnosed my mom took me to the children’s hospital and I remember sitting in the waiting room seeing all these bald kids,” Rogers said while fighting back tears. “I said ‘Mom where are we? Why are these kids bald.”’
She said the doctor told her she had cancer and a 98 per cent chance of survival.
“As a little kid you hear cancer and you think, sickness and weakness,” said Rogers, who now resides in Calgary. “You don’t care what the numbers say… It was really scary.
“The next day, I said bring on the chemo, and from that day forward it was I got to do this, it wasn’t a sob story and my mom and dad were very supportive.”
The Town put on a head-shave to help the family.
Rogers has offered her assistance twice to the cyclists riding across Canada – once making it all the way to the Maritimes.
“The riders are just so compassionate,” she said. “It’s really hard for me to put into words how much their ride means to kids with cancer – to dedicate a year’s worth of training. They are cycling over 4,000km in 18 days to bring awareness and help raise awareness so more kids can survive.
“It is just incredible.”
The riders are leaving Lake Louise (they are bused some of the way) on Sept. 6 and arriving at Good Life Fitness in Okotoks sometime between 6 and 7 p.m. Rogers would love to have a contingent of Okotoks area residents greet them. Rogers will be joined by another childhood cancer survivor from Okotoks to greet the cyclists.
And yes, Rogers did go bald.
“I went bald quite a few times,” she said with a laugh. “The first time it was very hard, but at I knew at that time it would be growing back.
“But because I am bald, I am living.”
To donate or for more information go to beyondkidscancer.greatfeats.com
