Cristina Roque's legacy lives on through coffee house fundraiser
It doesn't take long for tears to flow when Fran Roque of Sudbury talks about her daughter Cristina.
"I had my life up until Cristina died. From that day on it was a different life," said Roque, calling her eldest daughter "a piece of the puzzle that's always missing."
Since her death, friends and family have been actively trying to help others affected by cancer.
In 2013 a coffee house fundraiser was held in Cristina's memory to raise money for televisions at the Ottawa hospital, where Cristina received a stem-cell transplant.
Roque said there were 10 televisions for 20 rooms.
"The patients would be stalking each other," wanting to get into a room with a television.
Thanks to the fundraiser, all rooms are now equipped with televisions.
An annual event
The coffee house has become an annual event, with money raised going to families in northern Ontario who need to travel for cancer treatment. So far 20 families have been received funds.
One from a man in New Liskeard who's wife was rushed to hospital in Sudbury wrote: "I have exhausted all available funds to stay with my wife. The help from the Cristina Fund means more to me than I can ever really say."
A Sudbury woman who's husband is receiving cancer treatment in Ottawa wrote: "We've been blessed with so many family and friends who have supported us with their love, help and prayers. The Cristina Care Fund and the family behind it is definitely one of these blessings."
Roque said providing the financial assistance is what her daughter would have wanted.
She recently read an entry from Cristina's diary that was written shortly after her daughter was diagnosed with cancer.
"She (Cristina) wanted to help in a big way but at that time did not know what, or how to do it ... she always tried to help others," said Roque.
So far $30,000 has been raised for families who need to travel for cancer treatment.
