Sudbury teen Jazmin Ayotte fundraising to pay for her own cancer treatment

Students of Marymount Academy in Sudbury will be knocking on doors on Thursday with a moving story — and a plea for help. 

Last year, after a "grapefruit-sized tumour" was removed from her abdomen, student Jazmin Ayotte was given a diagnosis of stage four adrenocortical carcinoma, a rare disease in which malignant cancer cells form in part of the adrenal gland.

It's just really hard to believe, really hard to wrap your mind around, hard to understand.- Katherine Boyce

"Of course, that was pretty scary," said Ayotte in an interview on CBC radio program Morning North in Sudbury.  

"Right away, my family was like, 'Okay. What do we do?"

Ayotte said when the outlook for chemotherapy treatment came back with an expected 30 per cent success rate, she and her family opted for a naturopathic approach. 

A year later, Ayotte and her family are pursuing treatment options for her outside of the country.

'Regals Fight Cancer'

In an effort to help offset some of the costs of a recent treatment trip to The Bahamas, Ayotte's friends and classmates at Marymount will be canvassing for donations on Thursday under the banner Regals Fight Cancer. 

Katherine Boyce, President of the Marymount Catholic Charities Council, is a friend of Ayotte's. She's been helping with the campaign to raise awareness and funds by selling sweatshirts and organizing a raffle.

"But the biggest thing is definitely going to be canvassing," she said. 

The teen said she's motivated to help as much as she can because of how Ayotte's cancer makes her feel. 

"I've had very close people in the past [be] diagnosed with cancer, " she said. "It's a very different experience when it's someone so young. It's just really hard to believe, really hard to wrap your mind around, hard to understand."   

For each $1000 raised, Boyce said teachers at the school have also pledged to do certain things, like dye their hair pink or shave their head. If the girls reach their $10,000 goal, Boyce said one teacher, Mr. Bartolucci, has agreed to shave his legs in front of the school. 

Part of the proceeds raised will go to Ayotte, and part will go to the Northern Cancer Foundation. 

As for Ayotte, she said she's coping with the diagnosis through her faith. 

"God is with me through this journey, and He has provided me with many blessings, and peace and comfort," she said. 

"This is a really hard thing that I'm going through, but I can do it because I have God." 

To hear more from Ayotte on her journey and experience with cancer, you can watch this YouTube video on her time at Camp Aush-Bik-Koong, a Christian Summer Camp about an hour-and-a-half west of Sudbury.