Thursday, March 20, 2014

Wojcik's Funeral Home - Darah Joseph Funeral Arrangements



 DARAH RENEE JOSEPH
May 4, 1999 – August 18, 2013

It is with deepest sorrow that we announce the passing of our dearest sweet Darah after a 2 year long courageous battle with Ewing’s Sarcoma. Darah’s story of her quiet yet fiercely valiant fight with cancer touched many hearts around the world.  She will be greatly missed but never forgotten.
Left to cherish Darah’s memory are her Mom Dana Hoffman (Brad Wood); Dad Dennis Joseph (Amalia Albanito); Sister Haley Joseph;  Great-Grandma Jean Belluk; Grandma Jan Hoffman; Papa Ron Hoffman; Grandma Rolande Joseph; Step-Sisters Marlee Wood and Samantha Wood; Step-Brothers Aaron Albanito and Charlie Wood;  numerous aunt;, uncles; cousins and friends.
Darah grew up in Lac du Bonnet and eventually moved to Selkirk and then finally to Beausejour, making many friends along the way through school and sports.  She had a love for sewing, baking and crafts. She loved her special doggies and always had them by her side to comfort her during her tough times. Darah’s passion for fishing was evident by her many angling accomplishments, most of them achieved during her battle with cancer. She recently received a special award for multiple Master Angler species in Manitoba waters.
Prior to her diagnosis, Darah was an elite athlete competing in many sports. She played ringette and soccer since the early age of 3 years old and most recently, she belonged to the Manitoba Maple Leafs AAA Hockey, Selkirk Steelers Hockey, Royals Club Volleyball, and competed in the Hershey Provincial Track and Field qualifiers.  Her ability to play competitive sports came to an abrupt halt when she broke her leg running in a 100 m sprint qualifier in June of 2011. This broken leg led us to her cancer diagnosis, multiple treatments of chemotherapy, radiation and a rare rotationplasty amputation surgery to preserve function with hopes of playing sports again one day. 
This past May, Darah was asked to try out for the Canadian National Sitting Volleyball Team in Edmonton.  She trained hard several times a week with aspirations of making it to Rio for the 2016 Paralympics. Just days short of her try-out, Darah was stricken with a fourth relapse of cancer.  She was determined to fight until the very end with her Never Ever Give Up (NEGU) attitude.  Even with no cure available, Darah remained determined to try some of the newer treatments that were available at the MD Anderson Cancer Centre in Houston, TX.  Only weeks before her death, her and her family drove to Texas to seek this treatment.  Unfortunately, the cancer became far more aggressive than the drugs that were used to treat it. It was Darah’s last self-less wish to have her tumors harvested and sent to the Children’s Oncology Group for research purposes to help find a cure for this rare childhood and young adult cancer.
We would like to give special thanks to Darah’s Pediatric Oncologist, Dr. Geoff Cuvelier, Nurses Michelle Morton and Cathy Bourne, Child Life Specialist Dawn Kidder, Dr. Ken Brown of Vancouver Children’s Hospital, Dan, Doug and Becky of the Rehabilitation Centre for Children, the Pain and Symptom Management Team and the rest of the staff at Children’s Hospital CK5 Ward and Cancer Care Manitoba for the limitless support, care and comfort over the past two years. We would also like to thank the Children’s Wish Foundation, Hockey Manitoba and VL Ranch Children’s Ride for Wishes for allowing Darah’s dream to come true. She was granted her wish to Hawaii in February 2013 during her last brief stretch of good health.
A private family Interment has taken place. A public come-and-go Celebration of Life will take place in the Brokenhead River Community Hall at 320 Veterans Lane in Beausejour, MB on Friday, September 6, 2013 from 6:30-9:30 pm.  All are welcome to pay their respects. 
In Lieu of flowers or gifts, please help find a cure and donate in Darah’s name to the Ewing’s Cancer Foundation of Canada 72 Rockport Crescent Richmond Hill, ON L4C 2L8
Richard Wojcik of Wojcik’s Funeral Chapel & Crematorium, serving Beausejour, wojciksfuneralchapel.com 204 – 268 – 2263.


Wojcik’s

FUNERAL HOME & CREMATORIUM
SERVING BEAUSEJOUR, MANITOBA
1 - 866 - 424 - 6271 ~ 1 - 204 - 268 - 2263

www.wojciksfuneralchapel.com

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