Leah Pays It Forward on her 14th Birthday

It’s been almost 3 years since Leah Buckler began her battle with cancer. Leah has overcome so much in her young life, from chemo and rotationplasty surgery on her leg, to the aftermath of trying to deal with the changes that come post-chemo and amputation, to lung surgery, to radiation and immunotherapy on other spots on her body.

Cancer does not play fair.

Leah’s 14th birthday took place last weekend, and the Inverary United Church congregation wanted to do something special for Leah’s birthday month.

Rev. Heather Mclurg-Murphy (Minister of Inverary United Church and a friend of the Bucklers) asked Leah if the church could also raise money for a cause close to Leah’s heart. Rev. Heather suggested the campaign could support the Go Fund Me campaign that has been created to assist the Buckler family while time has been taken off work, or to tick off more items on Leah’s life bucket list. Leah, not surprisingly, decided to pay it forward and chose the Make A Wish Canada Foundation. Leah was a recipient in the summer of 2024, and traveled to Banff with her family. Leah wants to help other kids make their wishes come true.

On Leah’s birthday, donation jars were set up at local churches and stores in the Perth Road, Inverary, Battersea and Glenburnie areas for Make-A-Wish Canada.

On Sunday, October 19, between 12:30 and 2:20 pm at the Sydenham Point Track at Gordon McLellan Field, participants will walk or run 5km around the track raising funds for Make a Wish Canada. Snacks will be provided. Please RRSP to [email protected]. The project has already raised $690 towards its $1,400 goal