WEST HANTS, N.S. — The daughter of a longtime Garlands Crossing resident is hoping to put an extra large smile on her mother's face this holiday.
Inspired by card sending campaigns that she's read about online, Nadine Swindall is hoping to brighten her mom's Christmas by having a few cards sent her way.
Swindall, who is originally from Windsor, has flown home this holiday season to spend it with her mother, Donna Thomson, who is undergoing intense chemotherapy treatments.
Thomson, who battled non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2002, started chemo on Nov. 24 after undergoing radiation for her recently diagnosed lung cancer.
“She's not feeling the greatest,” said Swindall, who said this bout with chemotherapy is stronger than before.
Thomson's sister, Cathy Benedict, of Truro, is battling the same type of cancer.
“They lost a brother... he passed away from non-Hodgkin lymphoma — the same as what Mom had. She cared for him while he was sick,” said Swindall, who now lives in Alberta.
Swindall said her mom has always sent cards to friends and family, and saves the ones she's received over the years. With that in mind, Swindall hopes to make this Christmas extra special.
“She loves cards — Christmas cards, birthday cards, any cards — that's her thing,” said Swindall.
“I find it funny because when she gets cards (to send), she also gets extra envelopes because if she makes a mistake or something doesn't look right, she'll use the other envelope,” said Swindall, smiling. “She has stickers for each holiday. Every envelope, you know it's coming from her. She decorates them.”
When they were getting ready to decorate the house, Swindall said they took a walk down memory lane as her mom had piles of Christmas cards from years ago.
Thomson received her first Christmas card as part of the campaign on Nov. 29.
“She was excited about that and she was on the phone this morning (Nov. 30) talking to her sister-in-law and was telling her about it,” said Swindall.
Although Swindall doesn't have a set goal in mind for how many Christmas cards she'd like to see arrive, she hopes there will be many.
“I don't really have a goal. I just put it out there hoping she'd get a few, just to make her smile, to make her happy,” she said, noting they are on a tight budget this year.
She said she's hopeful people from Hants County and beyond will take a few minutes out of their busy holiday season to send a Christmas card.
“I'm not sure, really, how it's going to go. But, I'm excited. I'm excited for her.”
To participate in the card campaign, write to Donna Thomson, RR2, 67 Bowman Road, Windsor, N.S., B0N 2T0.
