Tree of Hope reaches goal of $1.5M for cancer treatment

The 16th annual Tree of Hope radiothon onInformation Morning Monctonraised $186,814 Friday morning for cancer research before passing the baton to Radio-Canada's l'Arbe de l'espoir, making the total goal of $1.5 million by the end of the day.

During the three-hour broadcast, people who have survived cancer and those who are battling the disease shared their stories.

Five-year-old Cedric Frenette of Memramcookand his mother, Jolyne Frenette,said the only sign something was wrong with him was a fever.

Jolynewas shocked when her son wasdiagnosedwith acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

"It was very hard," she said. "It is still very hard. But he's very brave and he helps us get through it.

"The most difficult thing is when he gets scared there's nothing we can do to help him."

She said Cedric is now in a maintenance phase of his treatment, receiving chemotherapy once a month, and has a 90 per cent chance of recovery.

Cedric, who loves hockey, soccer and video games, said he doesn't like to see people sad, butJolyne saidit can bedifficult to stay strong and positive.

"Some days are easier than others, but with the help of everybody, we have family and friends that help us go through it. So it's been a bit easier."

'I'm very, very fortunate'

Jason Deroche of Moncton shared his story of going from bank manager to brain cancer patient. Hissymptoms showed up just a week before he was diagnosed.

"It was there and I had no idea." Deroche told Information Morning Moncton.

"I was just feeling a little numbness in some fingers and went to the doctor and, 'You have a brain tumour.' It was that quick."

Deroche said five months later he is back home and doing chores.

"It feels like it's been a long time since I've beenhealth. However, it's only been five months since I had a brain operation, so in retrospect I'm very,very fortunate."

Deroche, whose cancer isthe same type that Tragically Hip frontman Gord Downey has, was given tickets by the band's drummer for the show in Kingston, Ont,. in August.

• Hip concert 'etched on my heart,' says fan with same cancer as Gord Downie

Derochedescribes himself as a resilient guy but said when nighttime comes and everyone else is asleep, it can be difficult to "not go to those places."

Health-care workers deserve hug

He said that's where the staff at the Moncton Hospital and the Georges-L. Dumont Hospital shone.

"I expected to get physically cared for but I didn't expect the attention to mental health."

Deroche said 30 radiation treatments were difficult and even though he felt anxious every day, heforced himself to go because he didn't want to disappoint "the ladies that work at radiology."

"I would get in there and then I'd be calm."

He said it wasn't until he completed his treatment that he understood how important the staff had been.

"Then you realize afterwards, 'I need to go back and hug them all,' because that's the part that tears you down. It's not the physical that tears you down, it's the mental. And I'm so fortunate that I had that support."

All of the money raised through the Tree of Hope campaign supports the work of the Dr. Georges-L. Dumont Hospital Foundation in New Brunswick.

Listen to more from the Tree of Hope radiothon: