By: Shazia Nazir, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Tilbury Times Reporter
For Steph Lauwereys and her husband Eric, the past year has been a whirlwind of medical challenges, emotional resilience, and community support. What began nearly three years ago with a diagnosis of testicular cancer has evolved into a battle against one of the rarest cancers in the world—a clival chordoma, found in only one in a million people.
Eric’s cancer journey took a dramatic turn in July 2024, when routine surveillance revealed a mass near his pituitary gland. Initially suspected to be a metastasis, Eric underwent surgery in Windsor that October. The procedure nearly cost him his life: his carotid artery was accidentally cut, requiring urgent intervention, four units of blood, and a week-long coma. Doctors warned the family to prepare for the worst. Yet Eric defied the odds, emerging with no cognitive damage and only the loss of hearing in his left ear. “They told him he was a miracle,” Steph recalls.
Pathology revealed the true nature of the tumor: a clival chordoma, lodged deep in the bone beneath the pituitary gland. Surgery was ruled out due to the risks, leaving radiation therapy as the only viable treatment. Eric is now undergoing seven weeks of photon radiation followed by gamma knife therapy at Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto. For Steph, the hardest part has been the separation from their children, Ryker, 15, and Stella, 7. “Our weekends are very short right now, consisting mainly of Saturday being our only full day to spend with the kids,” she says.
The financial strain has been equally daunting. Extended stays in Toronto are costly, but the family found relief at the Princess Margaret Cancer Lodge, a low-cost facility serving patients from outside the GTA who require specialized treatment at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre or Sunnybrook’s Odette Cancer Centre. The Lauwereys family credits their survival not only to medical care but to the unwavering support of loved ones. Steph’s parents stepped in to care for the children, while her sister Tonia organized a fundraising night that brought together friends, coworkers, and neighbors. “Every phone call, message, meal made, and prayer sent is truly amazing,” Steph says. “We absolutely could not have been able to get this treatment without the support of our family and friends.”
While the Tilbury Times offered to help raise funds for the family’s ongoing expenses, Eric and Steph made a different choice. Any additional donations, they decided, should go to the Princess Margaret Cancer Lodge, to ease the burden for other families facing similar struggles. “We were fortunate to cover our lodging costs thanks to our community,” Steph explains. “We want to pass that blessing on to others who may not have the support system that we have.”
Eric’s journey is far from over, but his resilience—and the compassion surrounding him—offer hope. His story is not only about battling a rare disease but about the power of community, family, and generosity in the face of hardship.
Sidebar
Readers who wish to support Eric’s wish can make donations directly to the Princess Margaret Cancer Lodge. Contributions will help provide affordable lodging and meals for cancer patients and their families who must travel to Toronto for treatment, easing the financial and emotional strain during some of life’s most difficult battles.
Eric’s cancer journey took a dramatic turn in July 2024, when routine surveillance revealed a mass near his pituitary gland. Shazia Nazir, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Tilbury Times Reporter
