We are so proud to have Nicole Strickland as Halifax's 2023 Honored Hero. This young brave woman has inspired and motivated us with her perseverance to overcome her diagnosis of Acute lymphoblastic Leukemia, her dedication to exceed her fundraising goals to end blood cancer, and her ability to make anyone’s heart smile. Nicole is honored to share her story and hopes that it inspires the candidates and supporters of this impactful campaign.
Nicole is a 24-year-old who grew up with her older sister outside of Ottawa, Ontario. Nicole joined the military straight out of high school and graduated from the Royal Military College of Canada with a degree in Aeronautical engineering. She was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in June 2018 when she was 19 years old, and underwent a stem cell transplant after two months of chemo and a week of total body irradiation. The treatment was effective for three years before she relapsed in July 2021 at 22 years old. She then went through immunotherapy, a bit more chemo and finally CAR-T therapy in October 2021.
Nicole has been in remission ever since and has been working at the Maritime Helicopter Air Force base in Shearwater as she awaits training to be an Air Operations Officer. She is and has always been really into fitness and after treatment was able to return to that by focusing on weightlifting for the past year. Nicole looks forward to spreading awareness through her story about blood cancer and its research, to help bring better treatment to existing and future blood cancer patients.
