VICTORIA -- Members of the Victoria Fire Department are riding their bicycles from their downtown fire station to the B.C. Children's Hospital in Vancouver to support a fellow firefighter's daughter who is undergoing treatment for an advanced stage of cancer.
Victoria firefighter Todd Thompson's daughter, Chloe, was diagnosed with B cell non-Hodgkins lymphoma in late January, according to a GoFundMe campaign launched to help support the family.
Donations are being raised to help the family endure many trips to and from the island to the mainland, and to help cover finances while Chloe's parents take time off work during what is predicted to be a six-month treatment process.
"It’s very important to us for Chloe to know, and for Todd to know, that if they need anything we're there for them," said Victoria firefighter Jeffrey Cullen. "That’s what it’s all about."
On Wednesday morning, a group of 17 firefighters received a send-off from Victoria Fire Chief Paul Bruce and Mayor Lisa Helps to begin their ride. Members of the Richmond RCMP, Richmond Fire Rescue, Victoria Police Department, Vancouver Police and Vancouver Fire Department also helped escort the group of riders to the children's hospital.
City staff say that Todd Thompson is an active member of the Victoria Fire Department's "Ride to Conquer Cancer" cycling team and has participated in rides that have raised over $315,000 over the past three years.
According to Bruce, firefighters decided to launch the team several years ago after the fire department saw a number of diagnoses and retired members dying from the illness.
"We created this team four years ago," said Cullen. "It’s something that’s become a passion of our department. It’s unfortunately reminded us many times over the past four years the impact that cancer can have on a family – our firefighter family – and unfortunately once again that reminder has come knocking on our front door with the Thompson family."
The Victoria Fire Department's gifts for the Thompson family on Wednesday included a personal cheque to Chloe to be used on whatever she likes once she is well, say firefighters.
"Today we’ve put a cheque together, just some money that we can give to Chloe to do whatever makes her happy when she has time to do that," said Cullen. "When she gets released from the hospital she can go to the mall, can get a snack, just an allowance for her to do what makes her happy when time permits."
Anyone interested in donating to Chloe's GoFundMe campaign can do so online here. In total, the campaign has raised $45,390, with large donations coming from the community and neighbouring fire departments.
