Remembering Andrea: Our inspiration

Andrea was a beautiful mother, wife, daughter, sister, friend, cheerleader and, ironically enough, an oncology nurse. She lived her life selflessly – devoted to those that she loved. She was always up for an adventure, she was the queen of glam regardless of the activity, and she lit up every room she entered.

In February of 2015, Andrea received a shocking and devastating diagnosis of Stage 4 pancreatic cancer. It came just 5 months after the birth of her daughter Braylan.

From that day on, life would never be the same. She fought hard for her life, and she did so with the utmost grace, courage, and strength; all the while sporting her infectious smile throughout. Her determination and positive attitude until the very end were commendable and incredibly inspiring to all who had the pleasure of knowing her.

On November 8th 2016, Andrea earned her angel wings, “leaving” behind many loved ones including her parents, sisters Vanessa and Maria, husband Jeff and her three adoring children Evan (5), Dylan (4), and Braylan (2). To say that she left them behind is far from the truth, however, as Andrea continues to provide frequent and very bold signs that she is still very much here with them.

Andrea’s Way – Our Origin

All who knew Andrea knew her way of life was to always look her best. Pregnancy, working out, going to the grocery store, tending to her patients, recovering from surgery, undergoing chemotherapy: she always looked like a million bucks! According to Andrea, when you looked good, you felt good!

Towards the end of her life, Andrea spent several weeks in hospital before her doctors reported that, sadly, she would not be leaving. Andrea’s sister and mother made a trip to Victoria’s Secret to get her some new clothes. They stocked up on cozy pyjamas and slippers for her – not realizing at the time just how much of an impact this would have.

Andrea’s face lit up once she saw her new hospital wardrobe. Her sister and mother helped her change into her new pyjamas and couldn’t help but notice how much this simple gesture uplifted her mood and energy level.

By this point Andrea was very weak, as she hadn’t been able to eat for many weeks. Her feet and legs were swollen, she was experiencing significant abdominal pain and nausea, and required frequent draining of the fluid in her abdomen.

In that moment, Andrea’s mind was no longer focused on her pain and suffering.

That evening, with her new outfit on, she requested to go for a walk around the hospital floor – something she hadn’t had the strength to do for quite some time. You would have thought that Andrea was walking the Victoria’s Secret fashion show that night as she proudly walked in her new outfit. Her face was glowing as she said hello to all of her favourite nurses. Because she looked good, she felt good! So much so that she even did a second lap!

Her family didn’t know it at the time, but sadly that was Andrea’s last walk. She passed away peacefully 4 days later in her hospital bed wearing her new cozy pyjamas. Seeing how the smallest of gifts could radically uplift her spirits during the darkest of days is what inspired the creation of Andrea’s Way. It was created based on Andrea’s belief of “look good, feel better.”