The TV room was packed with hockey fans as guests gathered to cheer on their team. Game seven of the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs between the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers is one of Jo-ann Cunningham’s warmest memories from her stay at Sorrentino’s Compassion House.
“Everyone was buzzing about game seven, so we planned to bring snacks and watch the game together. It was so awesome to do that,” says Jo-ann. “In that moment, it was nice to feel normal. We weren’t just women with cancer; we were front row guests to one of the best playoffs in hockey history.”
Keeping Wellness Top of Mind
Jo-ann’s Oilers didn’t win the Stanley Cup that year, but she says she left Compassion House with a deeper commitment to achieving some goals of her own.
“One of my goals is to focus more on my health, and I want to try to be more physically fit,” says Jo-ann, who, in March, celebrated 500 days sober. “I quit drinking on Nov. 4, 2023, because I wanted to be healthier, and I wanted to lose weight.”
Just a few weeks later, on Nov. 23, Jo-ann was diagnosed with stage 3 invasive ductal carcinoma and required chemotherapy, a double mastectomy and radiation. She stayed at Compassion House for two weeks during her 15-session radiation treatment.
Prioritizing Peace
Jo-ann says her perspective has changed since her diagnosis and treatment. “I used to let things stress me out — things that I couldn’t control. Now I don’t spend my energy on things that don’t bring me peace.”
One thing that brings her peace is spending time with her 6-year-old granddaughter. “She lived with us before I was diagnosed, and we started an activity called ‘Kookum-baby Fridays,’ when we’d spend the day together. ‘Kookum’ is the Cree word for grandmother,” Jo-ann explains, adding that the tradition became instrumental to her healing. “It gave me the motivation to get out of bed. I still rested, but I pushed myself to get up and move around.”
Creating Memories
Today, Jo-ann is still on the move. She has three daughters and two sons, ranging in age from 18 to 27, and four young grandchildren.
She lives in a busy household with her husband, Brad, three of her children and three grandchildren. “Our home is very full now,” says Jo-ann. “My daughter’s new home is getting built close to ours, so it’s going to be exciting and special to have her and our grandchildren close by.”
The family lives near High Prairie, Alberta, on the Peavine Métis Settlement, where Jo-ann works as a student learning assistant at Northern Lakes College.
To stay active, Jo-ann enjoys swimming, spending time with her grandchildren, and outdoor activities such as walking, camping and cross-country skiing. “I loved skiing as a youth, and I have the skis and boots, so I plan on doing more this winter.”
She and Brad just got their first passports, so Jo-ann says there’s travel on the horizon, too. “I’d like to go to Scotland, or to Cancun for a beach vacation. There are so many possibilities.”
Jo-ann has also been exploring her creative side. Through a professional development course, Jo-ann and her coworkers learned how to bead from the elder in residence at Northern Lakes College.
“I make my own earrings now, and I’ve started making my own designs,” says Jo-ann. “I’m proud of that, and beading also connects me to my culture.”
The elder taught the class that, in Cree culture, when you learn to make something, you make two and give one away. “That was kind of neat,” remembers Jo-ann. “Without even thinking about it, I made a second pair of fringe earrings and planned on gifting them to my mom.”
It’s been a year since Jo-ann rooted for the Edmonton Oilers alongside her new friends at Compassion House. Her team is back in the Stanley Cup playoffs, and though her journey has been one of inner peace and calm, cheering for her favourite hockey team is the kind of noise she’s happy to embrace.
