This charity tournament was created because of the loss of a very special woman, my wife Trish Sallaway. For those of you who were lucky enough to be part of her life, you know the smile that could light up a room, and the laugh that no one could forget. That energetic personality was her mechanism to hide the deep pain and sorrow from her past.

 

Trish lived in constant fear of developing breast cancer, as she lost her mother at the young age of 54. The same year, she lost her mother, her daughter of 9 lost her battle with leukemia. These events caused unspeakable pain that crippled her emotionally. Through her amazing inner spirit and tenacity, she was able to fight back and mother

another child, who ultimately saved her. Trish was able to push forward, but the pain was always there within.

 

Years later when Trish approached her own 54th birthday the emotional strain was obvious, and as the day came and went, she began to really enjoy life as she had lived past that hurdle. This happiness was fleeting as Trish was diagnosed shortly after with a vicious form of breast cancer, triple negative. First was a single mastectomy and rounds

of chemotherapy that taxed her physical strength, but her fight to survive was fierce. A second mastectomy was performed to create a clean slate to move on from. Reconstructive surgery was scheduled and the feeling of beating this horrible disease was in her joyous heart. As Trish approached the first anniversary of the diagnosis and

improved health, the annual checkup revealed the ferocity of Triple negative breast cancer. Laying undetectable within her body, the disease reared its head again.

 

This time radiation was the treatment plan and, off to Kelowna for this she went since Kamloops lacks this treatment option. Shortly thereafter the cancer spread to the surrounding tissue of her lungs and massive fluid buildup that she required drains to be installed. Weeks of daily drainage were needed to make breathing tolerable. Through

this whole time her fighting spirit never wavered, Trish was going to beat this, and with a smile on her face.

 

As these cancers took their toll on her body, her spirit stood strong. The fight was intense, but ultimately the breast cancer had passed through her chest wall and into her lungs, The damage done by the radiation and the chemotherapy to combat the lung cancer left her unable to create bone marrow. These two ganged up on Trish to ultimately cause bone cancer in her spine. With this last diagnosis, Trish knew the end was approaching far too soon.

 

A move to Kamloops Hospice was done in March. Trish received incredible care from this team. The push to survive until Trish’s youngest son’s June wedding was now a fading reality. This was until they asked to move the date up to the next weekend so she could be a part. A private, small wedding was quickly planned, but her deteriorating health didn’t allow for even this shorter time frame to work, so a hastily planned ceremony at the Hospice for Wednesday took shape. The happiness Trish was able to enjoy watching her youngest boy get married was immense.

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This joy was replaced the next morning with a realization that today would be the last. Having prepared for this eventuality, the MAID doctor was summoned and at 7:27 PM which was sunset, Trish took her last pain filled breath and left the body that had failed her. Her strength and bravery that day was the most incredible thing that I have ever witnessed. I made a promise to Trish a long time before that her journey to visit her Mother and Daughter would not be alone, and as such I held her hand through the night and into the next morning when Trish’s earthly body was taken so as to prepare it for cremation and ultimately to be spread in the same place as her daughter’s ashes were spread.

 

Trish was my happiness in life, and now my angel in death. I get to remember her amazing smile and vitality every sunset. But the image that really brings a smile to my heart is the words Trish spoke to our grandchildren just before she passed, “when you see the moon, look for the brightest star closest and that’s where I’ll be”.

 

This charity event is dedicated to the memory of this incredible woman