The first week of newspaper publication has had plenty of high points, but the one that sticks out was my interview with Gina Fowlie for a feature in this week’s Life section. Gina is a general studies student at Lethbridge College who survived a year-long battle with cancer.
As a print journalism student, I spend most of my young life on the third-floor Tech wing, seldom being released into the vast unknowns of the college. In other words, I may not have had the opportunity to know Gina’s story had I not been on the lookout for something that inspiring.
On one particularly hazy morning, I was given the name of Jeff Hamilton, who could be found in the Andrews building, with orders to write a story on upcoming Livestrong Day events on campus.
After spending a few minutes with Jeff, I found myself being let into the heart of the matter. Livestrong Day is more than an event; it is a celebration to recognize those who are conquering cancer all around us.
Jeff was inspired to get involved in organizing a bike and walk for Livestrong Day because of the courage he found in one of his students, Gina.
I quickly became invested in the story.
Jeff helped me get connected to Gina and to my relief, she was more than happy to share a bit of her life with me. For two hours we sat on the cold tech wing floor, deep in conversation about one of the hardest things a person could face- cancer.
Gina inspired me.
It wasn’t that her story was unusual, but that tales like hers are more common than we would like to accept.
It wasn’t that the story itself shook the city or the nation, but that it represented a struggle that can shake a person, a family and anyone it reaches to their core.
Gina shared her incredibly challenging story with me in such a purely honest way. As a woman, I can relate to the small traumas such as losing hair, gaining weight, having to withdraw from school or spending endless hours of everyday in a hospital bed.
As a person, I can relate to the sense of humility Gina shared with me. She found acceptance and family in the Tom Baker cancer centre. In the midst of her hardship, she met young kids fighting illness and wanted more than anything, their health.
Gina won her battle with cancer but to her, the journey is just beginning. She plans to live her life fully.