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

Mélanie's Way

Mélanie's Way
Mélanie's Way
This Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we’re remembering our namesake, Mélanie Chalmers. The joy she squeezed out of life after her diagnosis inspired – and continues to inspire – our ongoing mission to create moments of joy for young women with metastatic cancer and make lasting memories for their loved ones. We miss you, Mélanie. #BreastCancerAwarenessMonth
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Mélanie's Way
Mélanie's Way
One of our ‘Wish Recipients in Waiting’ shares her journey and the powerful way in which she’s documenting it. #MostBeautifulCollaboration #rethinkmbc
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Mélanie's Way
Mélanie's Way
We are so thankful for our dedicated volunteers, generous donors and helpful partners. Without you, we couldn’t do what we do. This Thanksgiving, we wish each and every one of you a safe and happy holiday. #happythanksgiving
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Mélanie's Way
Mélanie's Way
Thank you to the lovely owners, Jennifer Mills and Shawn Mills, of The Sweet Life cafe at #Brockville for supporting Mélanie’s Way as part of their fundraiser, Cupcakes for Cancer! We are immensely grateful for your support. ☺️ Congratulations on the cafe’s second anniversary! If you’re in the market for some wholesome home baked goodness (who isn’t?), then check them out! 🧁
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Mélanie's Way
Mélanie's Way
Mélanie’s Way wish recipient Nadia shares her story for Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. We unfortunately had to put Nadia’s wish on hold because of COVID-19, but we very much look forward to planning her dream vacation in the future! Thank you for sharing your story, Nadia! #melaniesway #OvarianCancerAwarenessMonth
Mélanie's Way
Ovarian Cancer Canada
“We need more stories of survival instead of loss.” – Nadia Hillier, Teal Sister. September is #ovariancancerawarenessmonth and we are determined to spotlight this disease year-round. Teal Sisters across the country, family, friends, caregivers and local communities need to stand together to support one another and further progress against #ovariancancer. Nadia Hillier, Teal Sister from #Halifax, #NovaScotia, shares her journey, her memories with Elly Mayday, self-care tips and what support means to her. Watch her video message here.
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Mélanie's Way
Mélanie's Way is celebrating Canada D'eh.
Happy Canada Day 🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦

Mélanie’s Way is proudly a Canadian charity.
Created in memory of Mélanie Chalmers, a French Canadian born in Northern Ontario, Mélanie is remembered for how she lived, travelling to 47 countries in 10 years, and not how she died, too young and too soon.

We help young Canadian women to 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.

We have grated 15 wishes and we are proud to have served women from British Columbia to New Brunswick and many places in between.

This Canada Day, we want to thank everyone from across the country who has donated, volunteered, or shared our story. Thank you, we are proud to be a Canadian charity serving Canadian women.

📸 Melanie Chalmers doing a Tough Mudder
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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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