Our impact.

Wish Stories

Shannon's Wish
Shannon was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2012 when she was only 32 years old. She remembers the bus ride home from that appointment with a then 4 year old and 1.5 year old and she knew everything had changed. Shannon’s wish was to take her family to Disneyworld. A family vacation, with time just for them, with no doctor’s appointments or feeling sick... a time that they can look back on and not see their mother as sick but instead see her smiling.
Jennifer's Wish
Jennifer is a 35-year-old mother of 2 young sons who are 3 and 16 months. Just a few months after the birth of her youngest son, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. On Jennifer’s birthday, she was delighted to hear that Melanie’s Way would be granting her wish. Jennifer’s health wouldn’t allow her to travel on a plane, so her wish was to enjoy a Blue Jay’s game with her family.
Sarah's Wish
Sarah Hannafin and her husband Jeremiah had their dream wedding at Dreams Punta Cana in 2013. Just two years later, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. The newlywed couple turned their attention to dealing with treatment after treatment. Just as they thought Sarah was in the clear, she was re-diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer – the doctors had missed it, but it had been there from the start. In May 2018, five years after Sarah and Jeremiah’s special day, Mélanie’s Way sent the couple back to Dreams Punta Cana to re-live the magic of their marriage and create new, precious memories on their anniversary.
Lucia's Wish
Lucia is a 44-year old mother of 3. She was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer in 2014. Lucia's wish application came to us in the form of a touching letter, the contents of which touched our entire team. She wrote: "Before my diagnosis, a 'bucket list' was the furthest thing from my mind. But Mélanie's adventures reminded me that we owe it to our families to live those dreams that we thought we could save for later, now...For me, a wish come true would be an escape, not only from doctor's appointments and those dreaded scans, but also from juggling work and life. It is those memories that will eventually bring my family some comfort. I've come to accept that 'later' is no longer a part of my vocabulary."
Nicky's Wish
Nicky is a vivacious 36-year-old, who was diagnosed with cancer in April of 2014. Nicky wished for the ultimate girl's getaway with her best friend Megan and aunt Kelly to forget about their cancer treatments and doctor's appointments. An absolute ray of sunshine herself, she chose to lounge on the beach to soak up some sun and flew to Cancun, Mexico.
Stephanie's Wish
Stephanie was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2014. Her and her wife Michelle got married in their home, while Stephanie was undergoing treatment. Stephanie’s wish was to surprise her partner Michelle with the honeymoon they never had. It was just after their 4th wedding anniversary when Mélanie’s Way made this wish come true. Steph and Shelley flew to Mexico for a week-long stay at the El Dorado Maroma Resort by Karisma. Their trip was complete with a private overwater-bungalow, a rose petal decorated room and sport fishing!
Julie's Wish
Julie is a 35-year-old mother of three: Archer (9), Jasmine (5) and Malcolm (3), In the face of her metastatic breast cancer diagnosis, Julie’s wish was to take her kids on a fun trip where they could make happy memories and come home with a disc full of pictures to cherish. In her wish application, Julie mentioned how creative and imaginative her kids are - she wanted to show them how their imaginations could turn into reality
Alyssa's Wish
Alyssa was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. In a heartfelt application to Mélanie’s Way, she expressed the hardships of caring for her family and dealing with cancer at the same time. Instead of worrying about doctor’s appointments, Alyssa wanted to be able to spend quality time with her husband, Garrett, and her son, Elliot, to create lasting, happy memories as a family.
Jayda's Wish
Ever since Jayda was a young girl, she was an avid Harry Potter fan. The famous series helped Jayda through a lot – it helped her fall asleep before she was diagnosed with cancer. After her diagnosis, Jayda said that when she was too sick to open her eyes to read or move, she would listen to audiobooks on loop. Jayda's wish was to visit the Warner Bros. Studio in London to get a behind the scenes glimpse of Harry Potter World.
Tracy's Wish
Tracy was diagnosed with Stage IV ovarian cancer in May 2015. Before Mélanie’s Way granted her wish, Tracy wrote to us and said "All the time, I feel bad for my kids as they have a broken mom. I just want to make as many memories with them as possible." Tracy’s wish was to give her husband and kids a gift - the gift of memories that would last a lifetime.
Christa's Wish
Christa was diagnosed with metastatic cervical cancer. This 35-year-old ardent animal lover wished for an experience money can’t buy. She had always been fascinated by animals and has a deep love for zoos. What better wish than a day as a zookeeper!
Maddie's Wish
Maddie wished for a Scottish adventure that took her to several iconic attractions at different cities and towns. Maddie was also able to meet with her mom’s family living there! This trip was significant to Maddie because it was something she wanted to do for her mom since she was young: “My mum would tell my sister and I of how beautiful the countryside is, her sighting of the Loch Ness monster and how much history there is to see and learn. This is something I told my mom when I was younger that I would eventually take her on when I got older.”
Noëlle’s Wish
Noëlle, her daughters, Kiana-Rose (5) and Amaya (4), and her mom, Marie-Rose, packed their bags and headed south to Orlando to a sunny destination for an enchanted family get-away. Noëlle and her family experienced many memorable moments during their stay and were able to truly kick back and create lasting memories together. This trip meant everything to Noëlle: “This wish is important to me because I have these two amazing kids, who have been through a lot in the past three years with all that comes with cancer. They had to miss out on a lot of things involving other children due to germs and bacteria... this would make their worry turn to excitement.”
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Carla's Wish
During the summer, Carla Hakim and her family flew down south to Miami to board the Norwegian Sky for a four-day expedition to the Bahamas – Grand Bahama Island, Nassau and Norwegian’s private island, Great Stirrup Cay, before returning to Miami. As Carla told us, this trip was about her being able to make the best memories with her kids: “Being there when they experience this dream of theirs, seeing the looks on their faces and not missing this special moment!”
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Recent News

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#COVID19 was officially declared a pandemic one year ago today. It has taken a heavy toll on all of us. Today, we express condolences to all who have lost family and friends to COVID-19. We also acknowledge those who have mourned alone, cancelled their plans, or felt isolated during this difficult time.

#InThisTogether #MelaniesWay #Wish #Pandemic #COVID19 #notravel
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Today, we honour women everywhere ❤️

#internationalwomensday2021 #IWD2021 #internationalwomensday #mélaniesway #charity #FUcancer #wish #girlpower
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Hey, we know those two. That’s our co-founder, Rob, and fairy godmother, Amanda.

#ThankYou to The Globe and Mail for featuring Mélanie’s Way 🤗


https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-pitching-in-granting-wishes-to-young-women-with-terminal-cancer/

#TheGlobeandMail #PitchingIn #MélaniesWay #Cancer #Charity #Wish #Sharing #FUcancer #Travel #sharedexperiences
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Pitching in: Granting wishes to young women with terminal cancer
Rob Chalmers, his wife Amanda and a team of volunteers organize roughly 10 wishes annually
theglobeandmail.com
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Mélanie's Way
Thank you Emily. Your birthday fundraiser raised enough money to help us grant a portion of a wish and we are incredibly grateful. THANK YOU 🤗

Birthday fundraisers are a great way to raise both money and awareness for a cause that is near and dear to you. When you choose to create a birthday fundraiser for Mélanie’s Way you are helping create lasting memories for a young women with metastatic or relapse cancer and that everyone at Mélanie’s Way is incredibly grateful for your generosity.


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#thankyou #birthday #melaniesway #wish #FUcancer #charity #birthdayfundraiser
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From Rob Chalmers:

Today (and every day) I am celebrating Mélanie Chalmers, who would have turned 45 this year.
Thinking about Mel’s birthday, I went through a lot of pictures and soaked in their associated memories, and it was a reminder of how fortunate I am to have shared a life with her. In our short time together, we shared so many ‘once in a lifetime’ experiences…and I wanted to share a couple from her birthday week in 2008:

1. Mel having her birthday cake – a ‘bush cake’ prepared on a barbeque, whilst we camped on the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater in the Serengeti. (her first bush cake, and last gluten-containing cake, I think!)

2. The two of us about a week later, on on of our single best travel days, deep in the jungle on the side of a volcano in Rwanda, visiting gorillas.

She is so happy in these moments – and I am so grateful to have shared them with her.

To all of those who loved – and continue to be inspired by Mel – I hope you all take a moment today to reflect on an experience you shared with her.

#melaniesway #happybirthday #travel #imissyou
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Wishing Mélanie Chalmers the inspiration behind Mélanie’s Way a Happy Birthday!

It has been over 5-years since we lost our precious friend however she will never be forgotten. Mel’s fearlessness, strength and zest for life will forever be cherished in our amazing memories of her as well as the Mélanie’s Way wishes that are granted. Mel felt fortunate to have the means to experience all that she did so I know she would be extremely proud of Rob, her family and the Mélanie’s Way team on how they have carried on her legacy.

Happy Birthday Mel, I am truly blessed and grateful for the time I had with you…just wish it was longer. Miss you like crazy my friend, you’ll always be in my heart and memories. xo

🖊️ Written by: Sue Urbanski (dear friend of Mel)

📷 Photo: Sue (left) and Mel (right)

#HappyBirthday #NeverForgotten #MélaniesWay #Memories #Wish #NameSake #CanadianCharity #FUcancer #WeMissYou #Friend
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Fairy Godmothers' Corner

Mélanine’s Way has a dedicated team of volunteer fairygodmothers who work with each wish recipient to design a customized experience. Our fairygodmothers help women follow Mélanie’s Way by granting personalized ‘wishes’ that will create unique, joyful experiences for these women to share with those they will leave behind. To qualify, you must:

  • Be a woman between the ages of 18-44
  • Have a diagnosis of metastatic or relapsed cancer (stage IV)
  • Be a legal resident or citizen of Canada
  • Be unable to fulfill the wish on your own

Please note that we grant experiences and are unable to grant wishes for items, such as cars, cash, home improvements, etc. If you’d like to apply or find out more about the application process, please contact us at admin@melaniesway.com

Mélanie’s Way is a registered CRA charity (# 784846297RR0001). 
rob@melaniesway.com
Toronto, ON

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