Meet our Expedition of Hope hikers
June 17, 2014
On September 19, 2014, the Expedition of Hope hits the Inca Trail in Peru. Meet the special people who are carrying the Ovarian Cancer Canada flag and our message of hope to Macchu Picchu, and hear the stories of how ovarian cancer has touched their lives.
The hike through the Peruvian Andes to Machu Picchu is one memorable way that Donalda and David will mark their 45th wedding anniversary this fall. Donalda, who runs her own organization management consulting company and is a survivor of stage 3c ovarian cancer, says the trip is “a celebration of life. My husband was with me every single step of the way through my cancer experience, so it’s important for us to do this as a couple.” 
Donalda was diagnosed and treated for ovarian cancer in 2007 at the age of 56. She has been well going on seven years and was told by her treatment team that they consider her cured. “We want all other women facing this cancer to receive the same news,” says Donalda. The couple will spend part of the summer hiking in the mountains of western Canada with two of their grandchildren, ages 7 and 10, in preparation for the Expedition of Hope.
It’s been 16 years since Kanta Goyal died of ovarian cancer and her daughter Nisha, a Calgary accountant, has joined the Expedition of Hope “to keep my mom’s memory alive. With this trek to Machu Picchu, I hope to devote time to a cause that is at the core of my life, honour my mother’s memory, reach my athletic goals and challenge myself all at the same time. This is a worthy cause and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.” Increasing 
awareness of ovarian cancer is a key goal for Nisha, an Ovarian Cancer Canada volunteer. “If this helps one person see an awareness ad, learn more about ovarian cancer or help to fund research, then it’s worth all the hard work.” Nisha has raised close to $7,000 through personal appeals and a fundraising event that included a silent auction. She is now turning her attention to fitness training in preparation for the September hike. “It’s all about trying to do something for other women and giving them the chance my mother didn’t have.”
Darlene Joy Merenick lived by the mantra, “I choose joy.” When the school teacher died in June 2013 after a two-year battle with ovarian cancer, her son Brandon and daughter-in-law Era Mae searched for a joyful way to celebrate Darlene’s life and a “great way to commit to the cause and raise awareness about ovarian cancer.” In 2014, they learned about the Expedition of Hope and signed up. “I think my mom would be happy we are doing something that is positive and adventurous,” says Brandon, a drummer and music producer who is 
married to a PhD researcher. Brandon and Era Mae are chronicling their journey in the blog www.choosejoyblog.tumblr.com. In preparation for the September hike to Machu Picchu, they have joined a gym and are carefully planning their meals. They are approaching local businesses for sponsorship and in June, Darlene’s school will hold an ‘Orange Day’ fundraiser in celebration of her favourite joyful colour.
In 2014, Irena has taken a leave from work at an embassy to recover physically and psychologically from her diagnosis and treatment of stage 2 ovarian cancer. Participating in the Expedition of Hope is part of her recovery. “It’s driving me to move ahead, and continue with my regime of diet and exercise to get better and to get my strength back,” she says. “This trip is giving me a focus – something that is tangible and immediate.” To top it off, Machu Picchu has always been on Irena’s bucket list. She works out twice a week at the gym, takes weekly Tai Chi and yoga classes, and hikes with a club once a week. Irena is 
planning a pub night fundraiser with a friend’s band providing the music. Another friend, who is an Ottawa artist, has donated a painting to help raise money. Irena is also fundraising online and participating in a community fair, where she will sell her handmade earrings and distribute Ovarian Cancer Canada awareness materials to the public.
In the past 18 months, Tammy, a volunteer with Ovarian Cancer Canada since 2005, has lost her mother-in-law and sister-in-law to cancer. Her father was diagnosed with two forms of cancer several months apart, and a woman she greatly admired died of ovarian cancer. Tammy was “looking for something to honour their challenges and struggles with cancer. The 
Expedition of Hope was announced at a time when life just seemed to be so out of control, and this was something I could control – the training, raising money and walking the mountain.” To help raise funds for Ovarian Cancer Canada, Tammy bakes and holds Muffin Mondays at the Department of Fisheries and Oceans where she works in Policy and Economics. She has just completed a project with the area 4-H Club to sell her handcrafted fish made of sea glass. A BBQ fundraiser was held at her local Canadian Tire and a musical pub night is also in the works.
This retired history teacher-turned-photographer has dreamed about going to Machu Picchu since he was a youngster. The ancient Peruvian city of the Andes is number two on Colin’s bucket list, right behind the pyramids of Egypt. “I look forward to challenging my own personal limits and to meeting others whose lives have been impacted by ovarian cancer,” says Colin, whose wife Dr. Lynn Crosby died just nine weeks after her ovarian cancer 
diagnosis in 2012 at the age of 55. “This trip is obviously going to have some resonance for me on that personal level besides the fact that it’s a place that seems utterly magical and spiritual.” Colin is training for the trek on the Inca Trail by walking the stairs in his high-rise and biking the Citadel Hill in Halifax. He plans to arrive in Peru three days early to acclimatize to the altitude. “I’m hoping to end up with some amazing photographs including some that might be of interest to Ovarian Cancer Canada for an art auction.” (See article on Lynn’s story and Colin’s photo exhibit in her memory this July in Halifax.)