Canmore Fundraiser Was a Great Success!

This is an update that just came in from Amanda, who organized a fundraiser for Mat recently with the help of her husband Eric:

"On Sept 25th 2010 Eric & I held a benefit dance on behalf of Mat and raised $1840.00 to help him with the fight of his life.

We had some really good prizes donated to us to sell tickets on and everyone who was there seemed to enjoy the prizes and themselves, which I know would of put a big smile on Mat's face had he been able to attend. Also all the Labelles walked away with a prize, Eric & I were so very happy they were able to join us.

I had so much fun planning this event. Mat is truly an amazing man and we have a bond that not many can relate to I know in my heart Mat will overcome this awful illness as I did and am going on 3 years remission.

On another note, Eric, myself & some good friends of ours decided that May of 2011 that we want Mat to come to Canmore, Alberta to walk in the RELAY-4-LIfe along side me as a survivor. This coming May will be my 4th RELAY-4-Life and there has been six reg. team mates who have come to me and said that they are going to buy Mat's plane ticket to join us next year. These friends have never met Mat but they want to and this is their way of showing their support.

So Mat, keep the boxing gloves on and we are all looking forward for RELAY-4-LIFE 2011. Lots of love"

Amanda & Eric

Another Painting for Sale: Honeycomb #4

Lise's friend, who is a talented artist, is donating this art piece to help Mat. About the painting:

Title: Honeycomb #4

Media: Mixed media on canvas

Size: 24" x 24"

Price: $500

What a beautiful work of art! This piece is one of a series of six paintings, most of which have been sold already.

If you are interested in purchasing this painting, please contact Lise Gillis with your phone number via email: lise_gillis@hotmail.com. If you know someone who would like to purchase this painting and help Mat out, please forward this page to them or share it on Facebook.

Honeycomb #4

$2000 Haircut by Lise Gillis!

Way to go Lise! Sporting a new hairstyle in support of Mat's fight.
Stay tuned for more coverage from the local news channel!

Photos

Sardinian Beach: SOLD!!!

The painting by Yana Klimava has been sold as of today, with all of the proceeds going directly to Mat's treatment!



While the generous buyer of the painting preferred to remain anonymous and they do not even know Mat personally, we are extremely thankful and wishing them all the best things in life. Your help in this cause is very much appreciated. Thank you for being an example of generosity, understanding and compassion.

May the good things you do for others come back to you a thousand times!

Selling Art to Help Mat

A Calgary-based designer and artist Yana Klimava is selling her biggest painting called Sardinian Beach with 100% of the proceeds going to Mat's treatment.

About the painting
Size: 2' x 4' stretched canvas
Medium: acrylic fingerpainting
Inspiration: A beautiful dune beach in Sardinia (Italy)

Price: $350

For this small price, you get an original painting and help bring Mat Rochette one step closer to getting the treatment he so urgently needs.

Sardinian Beach: entire canvas

Sardinian Beach: detail

If you are interested or have questions, you can contact Yana via email: yklimava@gmail.com. Payment via credit card, Paypal or cheque is accepted. You can also visit Yana's blog for more details and payment arrangements.

Please pass this on in case you know someone who would like to purchase this painting and help Mat.

Thank you.

Bendamustine - Our Hope for a Cure

The proposed drug that Mat needs is bendamustine. It is not currently recognized by the Canadian government for use, but Mat's profile and history indicate that he is an excellent candidate to receive the drug.

A recent study showed that 75% of patients with B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma that were resistant to rituximab responded to treatment with bendamustine.

According to professor Brad S. Kahl of the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health: "Although many patients undergo effective initial treatment with rituximab - sometimes in combination with chemotherapy - most will, unfortunately, become refractory or resistant to their treatment over time… Bendamustine, with its unique mode of action, now offers an effective alternative treatment for these patients with proven progression-free survival that could give many patients the opportunity to spend additional quality time with their families."


Bendamustine was first synthesized in Germany in 1963, and is approved for use in Germany, Switzerland and the United States. It is currently undergoing regulatory review in 12 countries across Europe.

For more information on bendamustine and its uses in non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, read this article: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170031.php

Mat's Blog is up and Running!

Welcome to the blog! Thank you for reading, and please leave comments and spread the word about our goal to raise $40 000 to possibly save my life.