
By Shelley McLean
Special to Ontario Construction News
Sitting side by side, itโs not hard to realize the tight bond between Robert Noseworthy and his daughter, Julianne. They laugh, finish each otherโs sentences and joke with one another.
Itโs a family bond, which runs deep.
Robert is a cancer survivor and not a day goes by that he doesnโt appreciate each moment heโs had to share with his two children, who are now full grown.
On Oct. 21, 1988, Robert was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemiaโa childhood leukemia. He was living in Montreal at the time with his young family, including Julianne, who was two years old and his infant son, David.
His prognosis was grim. โI was given a 13 per cent chance of survival with six months to live. My doctor in Montreal said it was very unusual for a 30 year old to have a childhood leukemia.โ
And so, the cancer journey began for this father of two. It would include numerous rounds of chemotherapy and radiation treatments and then he was in remission but the journey didnโt end there. โIn March 1989, I received a bone marrow transplant from my sister, who was a six on six match.โ
Thanks to that match, Robert beat the odds. He gives full credit to cancer research as the reason for being here today and he never forgets that. In fact, thatโs what attracted him to THE RIDE. โThat is โmy whyโ. I do my small part and ride to raise funds for cancer research.โ
Giving back has been important to Robert, the owner of Westerra Homes in Kemptville. He first learned of THE RIDE, through Robert Merkley, one of his suppliers, who inspired him to participate six years ago; heโs never looked back. Itโs also been important to him to instill that in his children as they grew up. โI received all this help and now itโs time to give back.โ
Indeed, you can see Julianne takes great pride in that lesson from her father and she marvels at his strength. โHeโs been an inspiration. Not just from a medical standpoint or as a role model, father and friend but being able to complete 120 km at his age, especially after everything he has gone through. I hope that I can do the same thing one day.โ
THE RIDE Noseworthy tradition continues. The first two participants to register for the 2019 edition of THE RIDE, were this father daughter duo. They make it a full family weekend. They drop off their bikes on Saturday and then head to a restaurant for a pasta dinner and gear up for the early morning start on Sunday.
Julianne says they love the experience and year five will be no different. โThe encouragement you get from everyone around and volunteers is just phenomenal. I always get teary when we start and teary when we end, as they announce him as a cancer survivor. We wouldnโt be able to do that or accomplish that without that research.โ
As a cancer survivor, Robert says THE RIDE is very meaningful to him, especially when he meets other cyclists who are flying the survivor flag on their bikes like him. โOnly a cancer survivor knows what a cancer survivor has gone through. If you havenโt been through it, to be told you have the big โcโ is โฆ.itโs unique.โ
He adds the survivor flag is a bond that brings this special group together. โWhen Iโm on THE RIDE and I see other survivors, Iโm patting them on the back and saying good job, Iโm glad youโre here. Congratulations. This survivor flag means a lot to me.โ
For Julianne, THE RIDE is about family. Itโs about giving back as a family to The Ottawa Hospital and advancing research. โFamily is the word that sums it up quite nicely for us. We are close and we like to do these kind of things together and support each other. If it wasnโt for cancer research and everything my dad had been through we wouldnโt be the family that we are today.โ
Glancing over at her father, with a smile, Julianne says, โMy why is you.โ
Celebrate the 10th edition of THE RIDE, powered by Mattamy Homes, and find your reason why. #DOTHERIDE
Shelley McLean is a communications officer with The Ottawa Hospital Foundation.