Maria Lodola-Price

I’m walking in honour of my mom, Susana Lancelle

On June 16th 2018, I arrived at Princes Margaret Hospital in Toronto at around 10pm after a long-haul flight from Melbourne. Even though I knew that my mom was in rough shape and only had days left, when I walked into her room I was struck by how small and frail she looked. Nothing like the fierce warrior I’d known my entire life who had been battling two types of cancer for over 11 years while still working. 

By this point, the cancer had spread throughout her entire body and even though she was in pain, she refused any pain meds. She passed away 6 days later in the middle of night while I lay next to her bed in the palliative care unit, she was only 74. More than two years on, I think about her and miss her every single day. I wish we had more moments together, that I could hear her crazy laugh just one more time, hug and kiss her. I miss her passionate rants about politics and I even miss arguing with her. She is the woman who made me who I am today and since her passing it’s like a piece of me is gone 

I’m so grateful for the time that we had together yet I still feel there should have been so much more. Cancer not only robbed my mother of quality of life for many years, but it also robbed me of the opportunity to share more of my life with her. I would have loved to have brought her here to Australia so she could not only travel around this amazing country but see the life that I have built here, meet my friends, see where I work and tell me how proud she is of me. 

This Sunday I will be walking 21km in her honour and to raise money for Cancer Council. If you can afford to support me financially, I would be so grateful. No donation is too small and every dollar helps.

Thanks in advance for your support and generosity