Laurie Budd is the 19th person in her family to be diagnosed with cancer.
While she was battling breast cancer in 2010, her 41-year-old niece who was fighting ovarian cancer helped Laurie through surgery, chemotherapy and then radiation.
Her niece died when Laurie was almost done her treatments.
"I wanted to give back and I wanted to help people the way she helped me," said Budd, 60, of Innisfil.
One afternoon during a chemo treatment at RVH, Budd overheard some women talking about Gilda's Club of Simcoe Muskoka which is located across the street from the hospital.
Budd decided to drop by and it was a game changer when she went through Gilda's big red door.
"When I came in here I had no hair, no eyebrows no nothing," she recently reflected while sitting on a comfy couch in one of Gilda's Club's many private sitting rooms.
"That didn't bother me but for a lot of people it does. You come in and there's lots of people with no hair, no eyebrows and you go this is kind of cool. I'm not the only one."
Now in remission, Budd is organizing a fundraiser for Friday night that would make comedian Gilda Radner smile.
Gilda's Comedy Beachfest at the Ferndale Banquet Hall features comedian Carla Collins and Doug Bies, whose wife passed away from cancer and is going through treatment himself.
"Gilda Radner was a comedian. Why not comedians?" said Anne Naumyk, Community Development Coordinator for Gilda's Club.
"It didn't stop her from doing her comedic work. She learned how to live with the cancer. She wanted to have a facility like this to go to for community support."
It will be the first comedy night in the history of the local club and Collins' debut in Barrie.
All funds go to Gilda's Club to help cancer patients, their families and friends on a difficult journey.
"It's not always easy. There are these down periods. Here at Gilda's Club we validate what you're going through. We don't try to brush it under the carpet and say it's going to be ok.
Yeah it is pretty crappy but you're not alone."
Budd is the founder of 'IRally for Cancer' and every year they do a fundraiser to support Gilda's Club.
"Everybody's going to die anyway eventually right," said Budd. "But I kind of look at it this way. When my time comes I want to be able to say at least I did everything I could to help other people. Even if I make one person's life better, that's good."
Tickets are $55 and include dinner, 2 bottles of win per table, comedy show, silent auction, raffle, door prizes and a prize for best dressed beach attire.
For tickets or more information call Nancy at 647-502-3554 or email [email protected]
