Living an Exceptional Life!

By Vicki Karpiak

I would like to introduce you to someone everyone should meet - Lesia Maruschak – 2012 Honoured Hero for Ottawa, chosen by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada.

Lesia led a life much like yours and mine until November 2010 when her doctor informed her that she had been diagnosed with CLL – Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia, an incurable blood cancer, most often striking men in their 60s and 70s.

Lesia is 50 years old, wife of Kostya for 26 years, and mother to two grown children, Nadia and Arkady. She is a 4th generation Canadian of Ukrainian descent from Saskatchewan, and a graduate of the University of Saskatchewan and the University of Ottawa. Her professional life was in the Public Service until her recent diagnosis. Also an iconographer, she has recently studied in Romania under the world-renowned George Kordis.

Lesia is on a quest to help medical researchers find a cure for her incurable cancer. Rather than “watch and wait”, sometimes referred to as “watch and worry”, she went on a mission to raise money to give hope to those afflicted.

Bernie Siegel’s book, Love, Medicine and Miracles, has been her inspiration. Siegel describes three types of cancer patients:

1) Those who want to die and welcome cancer as a means of escaping life’s problems (15-20%);

2) Those who put their complete trust in their doctors and medicine (60-70%); and

3) Those who are exceptional and refuse to be victims (15-20%).

For Lesia, she decided to educate herself and become a specialist in her own care. She looked for a goal to inspire herself and found that goal to be fundraising for blood cancer.

In 2011, Lesia and her tireless team members raised over $30,000, making them one of the top national teams. Lesia connected with families, who came forth to share their stories of how their lives had been affected by blood cancer. She provided monies critical to blood cancer research and support programs. Recently, she started a newsletter titled “Live, Act, Be Grateful.”

This year, Lesia’s goal is to raise $35,000. At her July 11 fundraising campaign kick-off event at Ottawa City Hall, a meeting was held for the campaign organizers to form their teams, get recruits, promote the campaign, ideas, and posters centred on the goal. She reaches out to all of you to lend a hand, to read, to share your stories and to join her in your many cities across Canada for the great fall walk. In Ottawa, Light the Night Walk will be held on Saturday, October 13, 2012. Some Ukrainian National Federation Ottawa-Gatineau members have already taken up the challenge to help Lesia (who is also a UNF Member). They are Paul Migus, Olya Korzachenko, Slava Andriyash, Paul Karpiak, Vicki Karpiak, Maria Derkacz, Mykhaylo Tytarenko.

Life is precious and your donation is vital in helping to save lives. Please donate now on-line:

www.tinyurl.com/LesiaWalks2012

www.tinyurl.com/HonoredHero2012

Now go one step further and ask a friend to donate. Act now, and be grateful! 

Vicki Karpiak is VP - UNF-Ottawa Gatineau Branch, and Executive Member - UCPBA Ottawa.

PHOTOS

1 - "First icon" of Archangel Gabriel  by Lesia Maruschak

2 - Lesia Maruschak (right) and daughter Nadia at campaign kick-off meeting, Ottawa City Hall