聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 A Carlyle mother's battle with cancer is a tough journey, but Jacquie McConnell won't be walking alone.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Jacquie's children-daughter Jossalyn, 24 and son Brett, 21-along with several of their friends have-or will be-shaving their heads in tribute to the woman they all call 鈥淢om.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Twenty-year-old Kyle Gudmundson of Carlyle says, 鈥淚've known Jacquie for the entire time I've lived in Carlyle. Her son Brett is my best friend and she's almost like a parent to me.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 didn't think twice about shaving my head in support of Jacquie,鈥� added Gudmundson. 鈥淪he's a great person and she's been extremely strong through this and I love her.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淢om was diagnosed a while ago,鈥� says Jossalyn. 鈥淪he was in pain with what was thought to be a bulged disc in her back. The pain had gotten really bad, so she was admitted to the hospital in Regina for an MRI, where she found out it wasn't a back problem, but a tumour.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭he tumour turned out to be cancerous, and so she has to have both radiation and chemo.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淢om was always getting her hair done,鈥� adds Jossalyn. 鈥淪o I can relate to how hard it must be for her to lose her hair. Shaving my head and collecting donations was just my way of helping out.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Prior to shaving her head, Jossalyn collected donations totalling $3,410 for the purchase of her mother's wig and for the 鈥淟ook Good, Feel Better鈥� Foundation, 鈥渨hich helps women look and feel their best during cancer treatment.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淢y mom is the kind of person who would do anything for anyone,鈥� says Jossalyn. 鈥淪he's an amazing person who is always going out of her way to take care of other people. I just wanted to show her that other people-not just her family-wanted to show her their support and to take care of her.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚n fact, she was really worried about me and how I'd react to having my head shaved. I'm a hairstylist and a make-up artist and anyone who knows me knows that I'm always changing my hair. Once I got my hair cut pretty short and I wasn't happy with it,鈥� says Jossalyn. 鈥淢y mom mentioned that and I told her this time would be completely different, because I'm doing this to support her.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 聽鈥淚 told her: 'It's different this time. I'm not going to be upset because I'm shaving my head for you. It's just hair.'鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 On Monday, Dec. 21, the trio visited Carlyle's New Dimension Hair Studio, where stylist Alicia Brown did their new 'dos, while Facetiming Jacquie in Regina.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚t was definitely a very touching moment for me,鈥� says Brown. 鈥淭he McConnells are like a second family to me and Jacquie's like my second mom.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚t was an honour to do it.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Jacquie's son, Brett says of his time in the stylists's chair: 鈥淚t's hard for a woman to lose her hair, and I would do anything just to support my mom.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲e just want her to keep on fighting. I love her. We all do.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 To make a contribution in honour of Jacquie McConnell, please contact Jossalyn McConnell.
