Crystal Roach once lived and breathed cancer.
She gave up her entire life to focus on her oldest special-needs son, who was diagnosed with leukemia at age seven. Countless appointments, meetings with doctors, chemo treatments, tears and heartbreak were her life.
Still, Roach found time to start knitting hats for all the children in oncology, to be a support for other parents, and to continue being a mom to her youngest, who also has special needs, and her eldest daughter.
“You don’t know how strong you are until you have to be,” says Roach.
“My grandma always used to tell me this too shall pass, and that is what I tell myself. I am just grateful for everything that I have, that my boys are here and healthy. I have so much to be grateful for.”
In 2021, with her eldest in remission, Roach decided to return to school and get her realtor’s licence. She now donates a portion of all her sales to the Alberta Children’s Hospital.
Nominator and husband, Josh, describes his wife as a rock holding the family together. She has diligently worked with government and community agencies to ensure their two special needs children have every available resource while homeschooling them.
“She has every excuse to give up and say it’s too hard, but that’s not her,” says Josh.
“Our family would not be where we are now without her.”