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Supporting an Aldergrove family’s cancer battle

Husband and father of four has community rally to help his family get by
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SUBMITTED PHOTO Don and Lenka Graham and their four daughters, Dori, Elizabeth, Gabriella, and Caroline.

A group of Aldergrove residents are working together to raise funds for an Aldergrove family dealing with terminal cancer.

In a short period of three months, Aldergrove husband and father Don Graham went from being a healthy person who worked hard everyday and enjoyed fishing on weekends with his girls, to being diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer.

Not only was this devastating news but recent scans showed a mass in his brain, resulting in an added diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis.

Neither he nor his wife, Lenka, are able to work right now. Lenka has taken a leave of absence to become a dedicated full time caregiver, to help Don and their girls going through this tough time.

The reality is Don doesn’t have much time left. Although family and friends are holding on to hope that he will make a complete recovery, the doctors aren’t so optimistic. The prognosis is he can pass within an eight-week timeframe from now.

Friends and supporters would like to try to alleviate some of the financial burden that this young family will be facing. They currently live in a rental house and Don doesn’t have any life insurance to support his wife and daughters in the event of his passing.

Don would be leaving behind four daughters, Dori (16), Elizabeth (9), Gabriella (7), Caroline (3).

With Lenka not working, she is able to apply for compassionate leave which is only 55 per cent of her wage, to take care of Don at home.

A Go Fund Me page (https://www.gofundme.com/stand-with-lenka) has raised $5,585 of the $30,000 goal.

A hotdog sale is set for Saturday, June 30 at Save-On-Foods in Aldergrove. It will run from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. at the store entrance, at the corner of 264th St. and Fraser Hwy. The store manager has kindly offered to donate the wieners, buns and condiments, which means more money gets to the family. Organizers will be purchasing coffee and pop and will need a coffee urn.

A Facebook event will be created for this as well as advertising will go up in Save-On-Foods. Organizers will need people to cook food and to sell and will organize a sign-up sheet via Sign Up Genius for volunteers.

They also now have an account with the Bottle Depot in Aldergrove on Fraser Highway beside the Safeway mall. The account number is #189 and the account name is “Stand With Lenka.” Ask your friends, family or neighbours, and get your empties in and have them count towards that account for the Graham family.