Jaime Moar

I’ve spent almost every summer since the age of 12 working at my family’s business, Marina Knowlton. In May of 2022, just days before our grand opening, I was driving from Montreal to Knowlton with a car full of restaurant supplies when I touched my neck and felt a lump. Something in me knew to take action. As I crossed the Champlain Bridge, I called my local medical clinic to make an appointment.

One ultrasound and a biopsy later, I was diagnosed with lymphoma.

At the time, I was 37. My husband and I had been trying to conceive, and I was just about to open a yoga studio with a new friend and business partner. To say this diagnosis brought everything to a halt is an understatement.

After many more appointments, blood tests, and scans, I received the official diagnosis: Non-Hodgkin follicular lymphoma, along with instructions to “watch and wait.” It was a shock. After wrapping my head around having cancer, I was ready to take action, and instead, I was being asked to wait. This became another hurdle I had to learn to accept.

As a yoga teacher and alignment coach, I was challenged more than ever to live the practices I so often share. I had to deepen my relationship with presence, listen closely to my body, and trust that I would come out the other side stronger. And I did.

The years that followed were filled with ups and downs. “Watch and wait” eventually turned into radiation, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and an egg retrieval to preserve the hope of growing our family.

When I was asked to be the 2026 Honoured Hero for the Light The Night® campaign, I felt deeply honoured. I also knew that this role is typically given to someone no longer in treatment. At the time, I was still in maintenance and didn’t quite fit the criteria. Saying yes felt like a leap of faith, a quiet belief that I would have a clear scan by the time I took the stage.

I’m so grateful to share that my most recent scan showed no evidence of disease, and we are now moving forward with growing our family through IVF.

Throughout my cancer journey, LLSC has been by my side. I’m deeply grateful to everyone who continues to offer hope to those facing blood cancer. If you’re walking a path like mine, know that you are not alone. Ask for help. Be open to receiving support. And, as much as you can, choose love over fear.