Team Keian Bottle Drive benefitting families affected by childhood cancer

The following is written by Ryan Blundell for Vancity Buzz in hopes to increase awareness and raise money for the Team Keian Bottle Drive.

During Keian’s illness, our family was blessed with support, both financially and emotionally from friends, family and strangers alike.

For those that were fortunate enough to be on the receiving end of Keian’s generous heart prior to his passing, you may already know why Team Keian is doing this bottle drive. While Keian was in treatment for T-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, he often expressed the need to help families, like ours. Families that helplessly watch their child feverishly fight to beat the odds of this horrible disease. Many of these families, including ours, are forced to give up their careers and subsequent income, homes and stability in order to be by their child’s side. I speak from experience when I say that despite the struggle this brings, there is no other place that we would be. A childhood cancer diagnosis is accompanied by extreme emotional, physical and financial stress. Most families spend months in the hospital at any given time; forced to live away from the rest of the family.

For 18 months, this was our life; chemotherapy, hospitals, financial instability, only to end on January 1, 2014 with the passing of our sweet, incredible 6 year old boy.

Keian was a brilliant, giving little boy with a pure heart; his wish was to spread joy to those around us. It is this wish that inspires us. In his honour and memory, we hope to inspire the community that so generously gave to our family with a way of giving some of these families the love that we continuously felt throughout Keian’s treatment.

On November 15, Team Keian will be running a Bottle Drive at Langley Events Center, where all proceeds raised will be going to these families; to provide hope and smiles during Keian’s favourite time of year – Christmas.

Please consider donating your cans and bottles to Team Keian. You can also take your bottles anytime between now and November 15 to Langley Bottle Depot at 20137 Industrial Avenue and ask for your refund to go to the “Team Keian” account. Alternatively, you can take your cans and bottles to your local depot and Email Money Transfer your refund to [email protected]

We are also accepting monetary donations and gift cards.  If you are interested in contributing, please email us at [email protected]

We thank all of you for your support!

Feature Image: Pop cans via shutterstock