Healing:

Mara Station Cancer Retreat in British Columbia - November 1 to 6 - A special retreat for terminal cancer patients - based on alternative healing practices including: art therapy, aromatherapy, bio feedback and meditation, gentle yoga, nutrition and diet training, massage, group and individual counseling. Both Crystal and Tony will be attending the retreat. The goal of the retreat is to provide hope...to provide a sanctuary of healing. The body has the ability to heal...and Crystal's hope is that this retreat will provide some additional insight into healing and refining some of the current regiment Tony and Crystal have created on their own.

Trip to Edmonton - Cancer Treatment with Dr. Smiley - Melanoma Guru:

Crystal's oncologists now believes she may be healthy enough to participate is a treatment only given in Edmonton and Montreal. It's an Immunity treatment that helps the body to recognize melanoma. The treatment is not guaranteed and comes with some risks. However, Crystal and Tony will be traveling to meet with Dr. Smiley on October 22nd to assess Crystal's conditions and determine whether or not this is a treatment worth pursuing. The treatment does require an extended hospital stay and is not covered by the Alberta government, unfortunately. But that's what the fundraiser was for - obtaining funds needed to pursue such treatments. So once again, thank you to all those have contributed in some way to Crystal and her family!

Inspire Health in Vancouver: 2-day Seminar

Tony has discovered a clinic in Vancouver headed by medical doctors who have in turn decided to dedicate their careers to alternative treatment in health care, combining Western treatments with Eastern treatments. The clinic runs seminars every two weeks. Tony and Crystal may participate in one of the seminars once they return from the healing retreat in British Columbia.

Nanny Search:

Nanny Search - looking for a special person to become a part of the Violante family and help to care for Mattea and Crystal. We are searching for an individual interested in a full time position - Monday to Friday from 8 am to 5 pm. The nanny would be expected to care for Mattea, help with meal preparation and general cleaning of the home. In addition, Crystal may require special care throughout the day when Tony is unavailable. We are seeking a nanny who is willing to walk with the Violante family as they embrace this difficult journey and no matter what happens, will be with the family for an extended period of time. It's important to the family to find someone who is committed. They do not want to have Mattea exposed to one nanny after another. They want to find that "special" someone. Someone willing to be in for the long haul...dedicated, loving, positive and strong. Most importantly, we want someone who will love Mattea as much as they do.

Alternative Treatment Centres

If anyone is aware of an Alternative Treatment Centre in Canada or the USA, we'd be interested in hearing from you. Through hours of research, we've discovered that there are very few places in Canada who offer this type of care. There are many centres in the USA, but they are also extremely expensive.  We may have missed something or overlooked a centre so perhaps someone knows of a place in Canada or the States that offers Alternative Care. We are looking for a place that combines what the Mara Station Retreat in British Columbia offers with cancer and naturopathic doctors on-site trained in assessing a person's body chemistry and blood - who can make recommendations of how to make the healing process more productive based on the needs of the individual.