A Bradford mom undergoing cancer treatment is crying tears of joy, after the Bradford Minor Baseball Association's Boys U16 team stepped up to make sure she and her children's Christmas wishlists have been fulfilled.
Lindsey Lewis is currently undergoing chemotherapy treatment after being diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia earlier this fall.
She recently came home after a month long stay in hospital, having the cancer removed from her body.
"It was the most challenging time of my life," said Lewis, who has two kids, Mikayla, 10 and Kaleb, 6.
"I’ve been home with my children everyday since they were born. Thirty days and nights without them felt like an eternity.
They were so happy to have mommy back home," she said.
Stephanie McCabe is a fellow mom in the community, whose youngest sons attend the same school as Lewis's children. She also sits on the parent committee of the Bradford Minor Baseball Association team, which her oldest son plays on. The committee is responsible for organizing fundraisers and events in the community.
With Christmas around the corner, McCabe thought it would be nice for her the team to help Lewis out over the holidays, by providing gifts for her family.
"I wanted to help, and when I pitched the idea to the other baseball parents they were all 100 per cent on board," said McCabe.
McCabe asked Lewis to put together a Christmas wish list for the boys to tackle.
"I was very overwhelmed with emotion," said Lewis about the team's thoughtful gesture.
She says both her children are quite humble, and rarely ask for anything big or expensive.
"It was a struggle for them to write out a list, but I told them they could write down anything," said Lewis. "I couldn't make a list, there is nothing I want more than good health and beautiful holiday with my kids."
On the kids' wishlist were toys, games and books, which were all purchased by the baseball team, as well as some small self-care gifts for Lewis.
"I can’t change what has happened this year, but I truly want them to feel so loved and spoiled this year," said Lewis.
McCabe stopped by the Lewis family home on Monday night to drop off the haul of presents. And there are more on the way!
"I spent hours in tears looking through everything," said Lewis.
"When I was first diagnosed in September, no one knew if I would even make it to Christmas. It's just ten days away now, and it was something I wished for everyday.
"I wish I could find the words to thank all of these amazing young men and their families. It means the world to me," said Lewis.
From a well-received Go Fund Me campaign, to a locally organized 'meal train' of moms cooking dinners daily for the family, Lewis says she feels blessed to have friends, neighbours and complete strangers stepping up to help her family.
"It's something I can’t put words to. It truly reminds me how blessed I am," she said. "I am grateful for every little thing, whether it’s someone taking my garbage out or collecting groceries for me, or driving the kids to school. All of the extra help has enabled me to remain at home and be independent through all of this.
"It has helped make this journey less painful."
Lewis just finished her third round of chemotherapy. In the new year she will have to repeat a bone marrow biopsy to figure our what her next steps of treatment will be.
"We are praying to stay in remission and be in maintenance," said Lewis.
