In Thanksgiving of 2006 our world was turned upside down when Bob, 28 years old, was diagnosed with an inoperable cancerous brain tumour and given only one year to live. As if that wasn’t bad enough, he had just, only four weeks earlier, been awarded his dream job of becoming a firefighter after years of pursuit. At first we thought that the timing couldn’t have been worse. But in hindsight, it couldn’t have been better. If things had happened differently, if he had been diagnosed before he had been given the career of his dreams, we would never have the opportunity to be writing this to all of you right now.
At first we were told over and over again to hope and pray for a miracle.

Sometimes we think of miracles in terms of larger than life however, and we miss the everyday ones. We constantly feel blessed with the support of the community, our friends, our families, and the brotherhood of firefighters.
We realized that cancer was to be a journey and we would need all the help we could get. We turned to orthodox and naturopathic medicines, to each other and to God. Cancer has changed everything in ways we never imagined. It has brought us closer, made us appreciate more and love more. In the face of the death, we have learned how to really live.
Bob continues to fight his battle everyday. Even when he takes chemotherapy pills for 5 days out of every month he still continues to go to work. When not at work, he spends most of his time with his family, his wife and his two children who are 6 & 4. He will also be looking forward to the birth of his 3rd child in October, another blessing and miracle that was unexpected.
The one year statistic came and went and we breathed a sigh of relief as Bob continues to defy the odds. We walk the road together, never telling God how big our storm is, but rather telling the storm how big our God is.

Sarah Van Goethem

The Typically Canadian Group is riding with Bob...

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