My battle with cancer taught me that a supportive family is a gift, not a given

first person

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I arrived in Montreal ready to take on the world at Concordia University. I was fresh out of my childhood home and enrolled in a Bachelor of Commerce program, majoring in finance.

Naive but excited, I attended every student finance event, all designed to introduce us to clubs, internships and industry mentors. That’s where I met some of my closest friends. I also applied for a prestigious two-year investment management program. After many interviews, I got the incredible news: I’d made it in. It felt like everything I wanted was falling into place.

But behind the excitement of that fall, something darker was simmering. I chalked it up to bu