STOP SYNOVIAL SARCOMA

Prior to her diagnosis, Priscilla, like most others, had never heard of Synovial Sarcoma. The main ‘target’ of this cancer is males under 21, with only one to three individuals diagnosed with this disease out of every million each year. Percentage-wise, about 8 percent of all sarcoma cancers are diagnosed as Synovial.

The disease is so rare that only three facilities in North America are capable of providing treatment for this cancer, including the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in Toronto. The opportunity for recovery and elimination of the cancer is based entirely on the stage it is discovered by, and how quickly it spreads.

“Having this disease has made me want to see more awareness raised about it, and about other cancers,” explained Priscilla. “We have a huge focus on breast cancer in Canada – that’s not a bad thing, because one cancer is no less important than the next – but it means that a lot of other cancers get overshadowed.”

She added that there are Pink Ribbon campaigns everywhere, but because of that, most of the research funding goes toward Breast Cancer, rather than some of the rarer forms. Despite its low existence rate, according to several medical websites, Synovial Sarcoma is still the highest represented type of cancer in young adults – but information, studies and research on the cancer are still incredibly scarce. Synovial Sarcoma metastasizes rapidly, and is impossible to predict how it will affect a patient.

“You never know where it is going to attack next,” said Priscilla. “There is nothing that happens with it to allow them to track where the next tumour might grow.”

* Excerpt from: Written by Tabi Wells

http://tabithawells.com/2015/05/14/750/

June 26, 2016

The Sarcoma Cancer Foundation of Canada has asked us to share our Sarcoma Stories to help raise awareness of this horrible disease. Below is a short video they asked us to send to #knowsarcoma to help in this fight!

We do this in memory of Priscilla.

See the link below to connect with the Foundation. And record your own video and hashtag #knowsarcoma

news.php

MAY 2016

STOP SYNOVIAL SARCOMA

THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF PRISCILLA'S DESIRE TO RAISE AWARENESS FOR SYNOVIAL SARCOMA.

THE PHOTOS YOU POSTED TO RAISE AWARENESS WERE VERY SPECIAL TO ALL OF US.

JOIN US ~ OCT 31, 2015

SYNOVIAL SARCOMA AWARENESS

In Memory of Priscilla Nichole Halfyard-Sebok

(May 5, 1990 – May 12, 2015)

This year on October 31, 2015 we ask you to wear or use a yellow glow stick to remember Priscilla and the battle she fought with Synovial Sarcoma. This is a horrible and aggressive cancer that needs more awareness. It metastasizes in random order and with Priscilla it surprised us all with an aggressive metastasizes in her brain and later in other organs.

On May 2, 2014, Priscilla was diagnosed with Synovial Sarcoma, one of the rarest forms of soft tissue cancer in the world that fiercely targets adolescents and young adults. For Priscilla, this was an incurable disease. Priscilla endured gruelling chemotherapy and radiation as she fought against this cancer with all her might. As Priscilla awaited surgery to remove the tumour in her lung in early November of 2014, Priscilla experienced some unusual symptoms that brought her to the ER for a check-up. On Friday, October 31, 2014, Priscilla was taken into emergency brain surgery where they found that the cancer had spread into 4 tumours. They removed 3 tumours that day. And they tackled the fourth tumour with Radiation Surgery shortly afterwards.

On October 31, 2014, Priscilla also reunited with her Dad after an estrangement of several years. Both Priscilla and her Dad were equally excited that the "chains" that had blocked their relationship - were finally broken. Their relationship began to flourish along with the relationship with her Step-Mom, Bridget, and all of the Halfyard family. We symbolize this with the example of a glow stick. A glow stick has to be snapped and broken in order for it to light up and glow.

On April 13, 2015, Priscilla was admitted to Mount Sinai

Hospital in Toronto for a Splenic Embolism and at that time

her doctors decided that giving Priscilla any more treatment

would be cruel. Please remember Priscilla on October 31 for her

courageous battle against Synovial Sarcoma.

Here are some songs to listen to as you remember Priscilla today

and the battle that she fought with Synovial Sarcoma:

Cinderella by Steven Curtis Chapman

(Priscilla’s song with her Dad)

Shoulder by King and Country

(Priscilla really liked this song)

Bless the Broken Road by Rascal Flatts