Every day, 9 Canadians will be diagnosed with brain cancer. Our daughter Andrea was one of them. 
 
Andrea was diagnosed with Brain Cancer in April 2021. She endured 30 rounds of radiation and completed 4 of 6 rounds of chemo.  She experienced a range of side effects from radiation, which required many visits to the Ottawa Hospital, frequent medication adjustments, and ongoing monitoring of her tumor through MRIs. During this challenging period, as Andrea’s mom, I stepped in as her primary support and caregiver. 
 
Throughout her healthcare journey, our family connected with Brain Cancer Canada. We quickly realized that, thanks to the support Andrea and our family received from a dedicated team of medical specialists, we wanted to give back. 
 
Tragically, Andrea lost her battle on October 1, 2023, at just 27 years old. Despite losing our precious daughter, we remain committed to advocating for change. 
 
The timing of the Power of 9 initiative coincided closely with what would have been Andrea’s 29th birthday on October 25th. We wanted to celebrate our beautiful girl while educating our family, friends, and community about this incurable and hard to treat cancer.   
 
Through this brilliant initiative by Brain Cancer Canada, we also wanted to fundraise and raise awareness about the critical research that is needed for developing effective treatments. 
 
Our initial fundraising goal was $1,000, which we were thrilled to triple in just two days. 
 
Moving forward, we are committed to honouring our daughter’s memory so that no other family has to experience such devastating loss. Andrea participated in our fundraising efforts and was immensely proud of our mission. Including our latest campaign, together with our community, we have raised over $30,000. 
 
Andrea is a true ambassador for Brain Cancer Canada, and we know she would want us to continue supporting this incredible organization in all its efforts. 
 
Julie Villamere & Family 
@villamerejulie