A Letter to My Community

​I want to share a story of a friend of mine – a Greenfield resident who we lost to cancer in February. Amy Rempel Alain was an extraordinary mother, partner and friend. A spitfire of energy, an ultra marathoner, a woman who lived her values, who found immense joy in being outdoors. And, for the last ten months, a lung cancer fighter. Despite her diagnosis, despite her fear, her pain and discomfort, nothing could stop Amy from finding meaning in her life’s story.

While undergoing chemo, she started “58 Lunges for Lung Cancer”, representing the 58 Canadians who die every day from lung cancer. She appeared on news shows with bravery and poise to fight the stigma that only smokers can get lung cancers (“If you have lungs, you can get lung cancer”). She ran and biked to her treatments to be active and outdoors and not labelled as a patient. From her hospital bed, she reached out to fellow cancer warriors, survivors, families to share stories, to give encouragement, to comfort and connect. She found passion and purpose in the ultimate test of making every day count.

So – my challenge to you fellow Greenfield residents, is to not wait until the clock is ticking to find what your passion is. Reach out – connect - put your mark on the world. Volunteer, lead, and dream a little bigger. Find out, deep in your marrow, what your story is about. And then live it to the fullest.

And while you’re at it – do a couple of lunges in honour of Amy and the 57 other friends, neighbours and loved ones we will lose today to lung cancer.
As always, I can be reached at [email protected] – please don’t hesitate to reach out with questions or ideas.

- Amanda