The Cancer Research Society's Challenge Against Cancer program offers the opportunity to raise funds by completing a major sporting challenge such as a trek through the northern valleys of Vietnam. To secure my place, I need to raise $10,000 in support of cancer research, and be willing to undergo physical training that will enable me, in April 2025, to hike on rugged trails through Vietnam's rice paddies, bamboo forests, grasslands, tea fields and mountainside villages. This program is exactly the kind of challenge I'd like to undertake for a second time.

Yes, the first time was in 2014 for a trek to "Cinque Terre" in Italy. There's another very special and personal reason why I chose to take part in this program. In 2012, I was diagnosed with a major cancerous tumor, cancer of the eye - specifically choroidal melanoma. At the age of 32 this is not something I expected. I've had two operations (local radiotherapy) to seal the tumour, but it will never go away and can't be removed. It's the only operation possible.

In reading the documentation provided by the Cancer Research Society, I learned that there is hope. Thanks to research, I've been able to use these procedures instead of the only treatment available 15 years ago, which was the removal of the eye and replacement with a prosthesis.

To ensure that an achievement like this continues to happen, it's vital to get involved in funding research. On behalf of myself and all cancer sufferers, I'm asking you to help me raise the $10,000 needed to complete my project. Needless to say, all donations, large or small, are welcome.

We all know a friend or family member who has been touched by cancer. In fact, two out of five Canadians will develop cancer during their lifetime, and approximately 1 in 4 will die from it, making cancer the leading cause of death in Canada. That's why research is so important, and why I'm asking for your support.

Thank you for encouraging me to take up this challenge, and I promise to keep you informed of my campaign's progress.

Anne-Marie