Saskatchewan cancer patient pays it forward

It's a dream come true for five Saskatchewan women who have been diagnosed with cancerand it's soon to benefit a sixth woman.

Marilyn Young was diagnosed with ovarian cancer three years ago. She was taken bysurprise when her husband nominated her for the 'Touchdown for Dreams' program.

"Oh, flip, was it a surprise. And it was wonderful," saidYoung, chuckling.

The Cameco'Touchdown for Dreams' program has helpedgrant 'dreams' for women each year over the past three years. It's all done in partnership with the SaskatchewanRoughriders, the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency and Cameco. Money from sales of pink 'Touchdown for Dreams' merchandise help raise money toward to program.

Young said it was a special moment when she found outshe was chosen to receive her dream.

Itenables a person to forget what they're going through. It allows the family memberas well, who came with me, to forget.- Marilyn Young, 2014 Touchdown for Dreams recipient

"I still have that recording because it's great.I can't erase it. It's justwhen I'm having a down day, I can turn that back on and remember," she said, smiling.

For Young, the seven-day Alaskan cruise was a comforting departure from the time she spent in and out of treatments since her diagnosis in 2011.

Happy times

"What it doesit enables a person to forget what they're going through. It allows the family memberas well, who came with me, to forget. And we're not going through treatments, we're going through happy times, so it's a way to share the positives and forget the negatives for a little while" she explained.

Young is in between treatments right now. She said her health is good, but she usually keeps track of it day-by-day.

Payingit forward

She said that her family had set money aside previously to go on a holiday before she heard she'd won her dream, so she wanted to pay her good feelings forward.

"We thought, another woman deserves this as much as I did. So we just decided, somebody else should go," Young said.

2014 recipients and their dreams

• Leslie Cunninghamof Hitchcock Bay received a basement renovation
• Barb Obed of Saskatoon had help purchasing a new trailer to stay in on trips to a nearby lake
• Colleen Lorenzen of Saskatoon had a landscaping overhaul on her back yard
• Lisa Duncan of Reginawill head on a cruise to Hawaii next month
• Marilyn Young of Prince Albert went on a cruise to Alaska earlier this year

The Rider Store is selling pink merchandise that help raise money toward the 'Touchdown for Dreams' program this month.