Guelph, Ont. woman rides to raise funds for chemotherapy chairs

A Guelph, Ont. woman has completed her first of 10 bike rides to raise funds for chemotherapy chairs at the Grand River Regional Cancer Centre.

Cyndy McLean knows what those chairs mean to patients since she’s gone through cancer treatment herself.

McLean began her ride Monday at the Arboretum at the University of Guelph, surrounded by supporters.

“It's kind of fun to get to this point where you're actually hitting the road,” she told CTV News.

McLean’s route was approximately 21 kilometres.

The number is significant as McLean had 21 chemo treatments after being diagnosed with metastatic colon cancer five years ago. She was also paralyzed 21 years ago after falling while hiking, so each of her rides will be completed on a handcycle.

Over the course of three weeks, she’ll embark on 10 different routes in 10 different communities.

According to McLean, the chemotherapy chairs cost about $7,000 each.

“Whatever we can do to help them deliver amazing care, that's great,” McLean said.

The campaign is called Cycling 4 Chemo Chairs. The “4” represents McLean’s goal to raise enough money to buy four new chairs. But by the time she set off on her first ride, she had already surpassed that goal.

“We're already at seven chemo chairs and growing,” explained Paul Amaral, a community event coordinator at the Grand River Hospital Foundation. “We continue to get more donations, so it's so inspiring, her story, and the fact that she's been able to get the community together, both donors and sponsors, for this amazing cause. We're so proud of her.”

Community ambassadors also shared their own cancer stories at each stop.

Lynne Murphy was one of them. She had breast cancer in 1998 and pancreatic cancer in 2003. She’s grateful for the treatment she received at Grand River Hospital and other facilities.

“I could not have had better care. They're compassionate and they make you feel like you're the most important person they're taking care of that day,” Murphy told CTV News.

“This little body has been through so much, and [I have] so much gratitude for the fact that I can actually do this,” McLean explained. “If there's hope that can come from my story, I'm grateful for that. If I could encourage people to be active in whatever way they can, I would love for that to happen. And if I can do this on behalf of somebody who right now is not feeling like they can, I'm happy to do that too.”

The list of rides, including dates and starting locations, can be found here.