Local Girl Beats Cancer and Wants to Give Back

COURTNEY McCLURE, The Standard

UXBRIDGE: Five-year-old Alexis Schulte is hosting a fundraiser to celebrate her milestone of beating cancer, on Saturday, May 27th, starting at 1 p.m. and ending around 6 p.m.

Guests are asked to bring a toy or medical supply donation for the hospitals. They are also welcome to bring a monetary donation, toward purchasing new toys or supplies for the hospitals.

The fundraiser will be hosted at the Schulte family residence, located at 19 Kester Lane in Zephyr, Uxbridge.

Alexis will celebrate with her parents, Genevieve and Mathew, her grandma, Wendy Schulte and her little brother, Maverick.

“We’re celebrating a milestone,” said Genevieve Schulte, Alexis’ mom.

Alexis was diagnosed with Leukemia when she was three years old and had been battling cancer for about two years.

At Scarborough Health Network – Centenary Hospital, where Alexis received some of her cancer treatment, there was a chest full of toys for the patients. The toy chest was called the “Tickle Trunk.”

Alexis wondered where those toys and other supplies came from.

“Well, I said [to Alexis} it’s people like you and me, who donate toys,” Mrs. Schulte explained to her daughter. “So, she said, when she was done with her fight, she wanted to refill the Tickle Trunk.”

Since she was declared cancer-free, Alexis decided she wanted to donate some toys, bandaids, and other needed items, to both of the hospitals where she received treatment.

Alexis received treatment between SickKids Hospital and Scarborough Health Network – Centenary Hospital.

POGO stands for Paediatric Oncology Group of Ontario. The clinic provides treatment for children, living in Scarborough, who have cancer. The clinic works in partnership with SickKids, offering chemotherapy as well as a variety of other treatments.

Donations of bandaids and other medical supplies will be distributed between both hospitals, while the toys will mostly be donated to the Centenary Hospital.

Mrs. Schulte said, if they receive an abundance of toy donations, they will likely donate the remaining ones to SickKids.

Centenary Hospital needs “boy’s toys” like G.I Joe action figures. However, they (the hospital) already have an abundance of Hot Wheels toy cars.

The hospital also accepts gift cards. Gift cards are often given out to older children and teenagers, who may not want a toy. So, guests can also bring a Tim Hortons or McDonald’s gift card to donate, if they wish.

“Thank you for everyone’s help along our journey,” said Mrs. Schulte. She also sends her thanks to all participants who choose to donate toys and supplies toward their fundraiser.

She would also like to thank the friends and families who have helped them during Alexis’ fight, and to the hospital staff members at both SickKids and Centenary.