The Moo Zoo to “Ink It Pink” for breast cancer research

By Sabine Gibbins

Kristina Walker is a mother first and a cancer patient second.

The 32 year-old mother of two was recently diagnosed with breast cancer, but she is not letting the news distract her from her two young children. Walker, who is a regular patron at The Moo Zoo, a family play centre in Stittsville, knows breast cancer does not discriminate by age.

“It’s not something you think about when you’re 32 years old,” says Walker .

Soon after receiving her early diagnoses of Stage 1 Invasive Ductal breast cancer last October, the Stittsville native became inspired to inform and educate other young women it’s important to go for check-ups and get healthy.

According to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, invasive breast cancer refers to cancer which may grow and invade neighbouring tissue and possibly spread to other parts of the body. Invasive cancer may also be referred to as infiltrating carcinoma.

The Most common type of invasive breast cancer is invasive ductal carcinoma.

Now, Walker is joining forces with The Moo Zoo’s owners, Sandra Luty-Craib, and Greg Swaine, to “Ink it Pink” on March 2.

All proceeds from the event will go towards the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation for breast cancer research.

Walker launched her own home-based business called Stampin’ Up last May, as she found it a great way to spend time with her kids as a stay-at-home mom.

The fact Walker is inspired to push her personal battle aside and focus on thinking of others first, is truly a selfless act and is also an example of integrity, says Luty-Craib.

“We got to thinking , what a better thing to do than to help organize an event to sort of give back?” Says Luty-Craib.

Early Diagnosis

When Walker mentioned to the other moms and the staff at the Moo Zoo she had breast cancer, without delay, she gained much support.

Luty-Craib says everyone was pleasantly surprised to hear about the young mother’s desire to organize a fundraiser such as this and likens the children’s play centre to a tight-knit community.

“The Moo Zoo is like an anchor in the community,” she says. “It’s like a focus group. You become friends and make friends with people, moms get talking to other adults”

“Most people here are the same age, and you start to realize that cancer doesn’t discriminate by age.”

In one way or another everyone has been touched by cancer.

It’s people like Walker , she says who lead the fight to end breast cancer in her own unique way, though personal interest, hobby and throwing her home business into the mix.

“Most people, when they are hit by chemotherapy, the last thing they want to do is raise money,” says Luty-Craib.

The important message to get out is the fact that through early detection breast cancer can be beaten.

“To me it’s important,” says Luty-Craib. “Just because you’re feeling healthy doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get a check-up.”

Walker, who endured her first round of chemotherapy treatment last Friday, echoes Luty-Craib’s remarks.

“The key is to getting checked early” she says.

Luty-Craib says “pink” events are becoming all the rage, and the event the Moo Zoo is hosting-which is located in Stittsville-will be similar.

Through communicating and mingling with others, Walker says the support has been overwhelming.

It came as a shock to her when she heard the news she had breast cancer.

“I’m like Miss Healthy,” she says. She then pauses before adding “apart from the breast cancer.”

It was an emotional hurdle to overcome, one she was not prepared for at first. But she has learned to come to terms with it.

“You don’t expect to hear that at age 32,” she says, adding she had no family history of the disease.

“Once we knew what we were dealing with, it became easier to go through this.”

To get her mind off chemotherapy treatments and the like, she spends ample time with her children, son Walker, 2, and her daughter Rowan,4, as well as husband Erik Egsgard, and family.

“If I didn’t have my kids…” she says first and then shrugs.

She doesn’t need to say it though. Her children are a welcome distraction from what she is personally going through. They keep her busy and she likes it that way.

“They get me thinking about other things,” she says, “I have to be a mother first. I can’t be a cancer patient first.”

“I have no choice.” She adds. “You have to do what you have to do to get by the detours in life.”

Although she hasn’t mentioned the “cancer” word to her eldest, she says she definitely knows mommy is taking medicine and is going through something.

“She takes care of me,” she says. “It’s amazing how much they understand”

Perhaps her biggest task is ensuring her children don’t get scared.

Luty-Craib, who was also diagnosed with cancer a couple of years ago, can relate to what Walker is going through.

“The first thing you think about when you’re diagnosed with cancer is, ‘Oh my god, I’m going to die’,” she says. “Cancer is not a death sentence”.

The main message the two want to get across to young women (and men) is that getting checked earlier is better.

“Cancer does not necessarily make you feel sick,” she says “Getting checked early is a preventative measure.”

Cancer is also not just something the person who is diagnosed with it goes through, but is a personal challenge those surrounding that person go through, as well.

In this case, Walker, who was born and raised in Stittsville, is surrounded by her family, friends, and her family at the Moo Zoo.

The event on March 2, called ‘Mooove Over Cancer! Ink it Pink!’ will take place at the Moo Zoo from 10 am to 6pm, all admission to the event will be voluntary and will go directly to the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation for breast Cancer Research.

From 10am to 3pm children along with their parents, will get to create their own hand-stamped inspirational card courtesy of Walker ’s scrapbooking business.

Businesses are encouraged to donate silent auction items. The silent auction will take place from 10am to 5pm. The winners of the silent auction must be present to receive their prize(s).

Gifts for the silent auction can be dropped off at the Moo Zoo until Feb 27^.  

A guest speaker from the Cancer Research Foundation will be present at 5pm and from 4pm to 6pm a silent auction reception will take place.

For more information on this great fundraising event, please go to www.themoozoo.com or call them at 613-831-1131.