Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

  My beloved aunt Cathy was diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma (bile duct cancer) in September of 2016 and unfortunately passed away on September 3rd of 2018 at the age of 49 years old.  January 11^th would mark her 50^th birthday. It was, and still is completely surreal to all of us: family members, friends and colleagues that this has occurred.  Many of us showed great support along the way especially her boyfriend Frank who was by her side every step of the way. 

  I’ve tried to upload pictures that showcase her vibrant personality and hopefully, it comes through to all of you. 

  To say that Cathy was a good person would be the biggest understatement of all.  My aunt was a humble individual who positively impacted many people that crossed her path.  She was an extremely caring, supportive, humorous and intelligent person, one in which I will ceaselessly be grateful in having throughout my 25 years of life.  She wasn’t solely an aunt, but a second mother and a best friend.

  Oscar Wilde once said that “to live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all”.  Even though Cathy was young, she fortunately cherished her life and lived in “the now”.  She loved travelling and connecting with individuals from other countries.  My aunt also valued education, which I was inspired by for as long as I can remember.  Receiving her B.A in Political Science and M.A in Educational Studies, she afterwards made a bold decision to move from Montreal, Canada, to Greece. During her time spent there, she had the opportunity to open her own English school and taught children and adolescents.  Later on, she moved back to Montreal and in her early forties, went back to school where she received her Bachelor's degree in Education.  Cathy managed to work as an Elementary school Teacher for a couple of years. Countless individuals admired her teaching skills and capability to connect with her students.   

  In no way am I trying to convey that all in Cathy’s life was ideal.  What I value is that she was ambitious, determined and remained true to herself and the decisions she made even amid obstacles that were faced.

   Cathy did not particularly fit the norm which is something that we all can learn from. The norms in our society tell us how we should go about living our lives, and when we should fulfill certain things but is that always a good thing?  What is good for one person does not insinuate that it’s also good for another. What is more important is to cultivate and focus on our own pathway. 

   Thank you, dear Aunt, through your actions, we’ve all learnt a lot more about what’s important and essential in life. 

I want Cathy’s legacy to live on and so, this is why this fundraiser has been created.  

Any donations are appreciated!  

Cathy truly wanted to spread awareness and a cure to be found.

Thank you,

Sincerely,

Aggie Fotinos