Woman battling cancer gets a surprise Christmas in July
Fought off cancer 4 times only to get terminal diagnosis before making it home for the holidays
A woman battling cancer who was told she may only have three to six months left to live got a surprise Christmas in July party from her family in Winnipeg Sunday night.
Debbie Peterson, 61, was diagnosed with liver cancer earlier this year. She lives in Moose Jaw, Sask. and has always wanted to spend Christmas with her family in Winnipeg but has never been able to because she's either going through chemotherapy or too ill to travel.
"She always wants to come back at Christmas but you know how unusual the weather is, you never know, and she's always been going through treatments, she's always sick at Christmas," said Debbie's sister Cathy Mieyette.
"My sister has battled four cancers and two months ago they told her she was terminal and had three to six months to live, so mom figured that she'd do Christmas in July for her," said Mieyette.
Mieyette said the family has been busy baking, cooking and decorating their St. Boniface home and backyard with Christmas lights and banners that say "Christmas in July."
"We've been having a blast with all the setting up and getting Christmas trees donated, we've wrapped up boxes, empty boxes and put them under the tree!"
Dozens of relatives and friends made the trip to Winnipeg on Sunday night for the surprise Christmas party — including Santa, who handed out gifts to the nearly 100 guests.
Peterson said at first she thought she was having dinner with immediate family but was later surprised to see so many relatives, friends and neighbours show up in her backyard.
'What the hell is going on?!'
"I was amazed, I was very surprised," Peterson said.
"I saw the Christmas trees and all the decorations and I thought what the hell is going on?!" Peterson said.
Peterson's mother Lorraine Purchase said many people from the neighbourhood pitched in to help organize the event.
"We have a lovely neighbourhood, Debbie was brought up here, this is where she was born, I'm just feeling thankful for all the people that came here," Purchase said.
"She's been through so much," Mieyette said.
"So we're hoping this is a way of connecting her with everybody that can't get to Moose Jaw, and just showing their support and everybody seeing how Deb is doing and how she's doing great," Mieyette said.
In 1999 Peterson had a brain tumour removed. She was later diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005 and then kidney cancer in 2008, followed by colorectal cancer in 2014.
'Toughest person I've ever met'
After numerous rounds of chemotherapy Peterson was diagnosed with liver cancer earlier this year.
Peterson said she's been feeling better physically over the last few days thanks to holistic medicine she started taking.
"It's doing me wonders, and I'm happy," Peterson said.
"I know she's affected a lot of people and she is probably the toughest person I've ever met," said Peterson's husband Gary who was by her side most of the night.
Mieyette, who's also a cancer survivor, said her sister is in great spirits and she's not giving up her fight.
"We're both fighters with the cancer thing, and we don't give up."
