An emotional stop for a young Victoria girl battling brain cancer, along with her family, was one of the culminating moments on the 1,200 km journey for this year's 18 Tour de Rock riders. At 4:30 p.m. on Oct. 3, 13-year-old Olivia, along with her brothers Lucas and Kai, stood outside their home to greet the riders who poured in to show young Olivia solidarity in her fight. Mother Morgan Lassam watched with emotion from the window. "Olivia's fight spans close to seven years now. It has been both heartbreaking and inspiring to walk alongside her," Lassam told Victoria News. "While Olivia has faced many challenges over the years and continues to, she and her siblings, Lucas and Kai, have shown incredible strength and resilience." "They remind us that when one child faces a challenge, the whole family becomes part of the fight. We have all walked this road together, and the love and support from our community have carried us through so much." In the three years prior, the Lassam home Tour de Rock stop looked a little different – Olivia and her brothers ran a Lemonade Stand, collectively raising $62,000 to support Tour de Rock, an Island-wide bike ride to raise money for children's pediatric cancer research and treatment programs. This year, due to Olivia's ongoing treatments, the lemonade stand was cancelled. Lassam said those wishing to donate can direct their support to Shea Mackenzie, Olivia's "honourary" rider. "Shea is an incredible support in our community," Lassam said. "It means so much to us to have Tour de Rock stop by our home," Lassam added. "The show of support for our family is deeply meaningful and is a reminder that even in our hardest times, we are not alone." Olivia was diagnosed with a pilocytic astrocytoma in the cerebellum and brain stem at age seven. She remembers getting "really sick" on her baby brother's first birthday, according to her profile on Ronald McDonald House Charities. Canadian Cancer Society has helped her and her family throughout the journey. Notably, Olivia, Lucas and Kai attend Camp Goodtimes each summer; it's a free, medically supervised summer camp that allows kids facing cancer to build connections, gain support, and "just be a kid," Lassam said. It also has enabled Lassam to create "lasting bonds" with other families going through the same journey. The Tour de Rock ride concluded Oct. 3 with exhausted but smiling riders reaching the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia steps at 4:51 p.m., raising a total of $828,028. While the journey is over for this year, for Lassam and her family, it will be a warm memory that will help make the trials ahead a little easier. "It's about more than the ride; it's about knowing that all of our children are valued, and that we're surrounded by people who care," Lassam said. "We have all walked this road together, and the love and support from our community have carried us through so much."
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