Benefit Christmas Concert begins next week in Raymond

Posted on December 13, 2013 by Westwind Weekly

Young mother of two, Jocelyn Ogrins, definitely has her family to be thankful for this holiday season. Especially since they took the liberty to organize a fundraiser to help pay for her costly chemotherapy treatments.

“In May of 2012 was when she was first diagnosed with cancer and at that time she was five months pregnant with her second child,” explained sister-in-law Brenna Hardy.

“So they did a chemo treatment with her then, a non-aggressive one, because she was pregnant, they don’t usually do that but she was having trouble breathing.”

Although the treatment was mild initially, after second child Elouise was born the doctors attacked the tumor more aggressively and she was declared cancer-free.

However not even six months later Ogrins was experiencing cancer-like symptoms once again, so she went to the doctor only to find out her cancer had returned, more aggressively this time.

“They did another round of chemo this past summer and a stem-cell transplant but both of those didn’t work,” Hardy said.

“When she went back to the doctor they said it had never gone away.”

Currently Ogrins life is being jeopardized by two, aggressive lymphatic Stage 4 cancers.

Although the treatment suggested by the doctor isn’t covered by the health care system, it hasn’t discouraged the family from organizing a Great Canadian Barn Dance in Ogrins honour.

“The Barn contacted my parents on Nov. 24. My parents had told them about Jocelyn and they told my parents they would love to do a Christmas benefit show with all proceeds going towards helping Jocelyn with her treatment,” Hardy said of the six to eight treatments Ogrins needs, which go for $8,000 a pop.

“They’re going to do four shows, two on Dec. 18 and two on Dec. 19. They are going to bring all their equipment out . . . some people at the barn have offered to help us out on the night of the shows.”

Ogrins next treatment is the day before the show. Depending on how her body reacts to the treatment she hopes to be able to attend the show and spend Christmas with her family in Raymond as well.

“We are crossing our fingers they might be able to come for Christmas and I’m hoping she might be able to come to one of the shows,” Hardy said. “We have had people call who don’t even know Jocelyn. I had a lady from Coutts who wanted to buy a ticket, she had no connect to Jocelyn or her family but she was very touched by the cause and Jocelyn and her story, so she wanted to help out.”

Although Ogrins and husband Isaacs and two kids, Peter and Elouise, live in Edmonton, where Isaacs attends school, she isn’t without family back in Raymond.

“It’s just been one big roller coaster. She’s in Stage 4 right now with her cancer, so it’s pretty advanced. The doctors say this drug, Adcetris, is her best shot at recovering,” Hardy said of the chemotherapy treatment.

“A lot of the symptoms she had were cold-like. Back in February or March this year they were telling her she had a pneumonia and so they began treating her for it and then found out, no, it’s cancer in your body again.

“It’s been hard on her and my brother and hard on their kids and my parents because their kids are with them a lot . . . her husband is a film student so he is trying to do the best he can to support her and support the family.”

Those who wish to purchase tickets to the Hope for Jocelyn Christmas Concert at the Raymond Broadway Theatre on either Dec. 18 or Dec. 19, can contact Brenna Hardy at 403-752-4875, or pick them up at the door. For more information on Jocelyn and her battle, please visit http://www.youcaring.com/hopeforjocelyn.