See those beautiful blue eyes on the cover of Inspire Magazine? Those sparkling eyes belong to my spirited daughter Mackenzie.
To most people, her eyes look like any other healthy and vibrant six-year-old. But when I look into her eyes, I see beyond the striking cobalt. I see a strong, independent girl who has had to grow up far faster than she should have. Those eyes have seen more pain than any six-year-old kid should ever have to.
Mackenzie is the other twin. Since she was a baby, she has lived in the shadow of her sick brother. Her brother Xavier was diagnosed with an incurable brain cancer at eight-months-old. Since then he has been the focus of newspaper articles and even featured in a segment on CTV National about childhood brain tumours. We have done walks and other fundraisers in his honour while Mackenzie quietly watched from the sidelines.
So when I started throwing around the idea of starting a magazine, I promised her it was her turn. I told her if I ever did have a magazine, I would put her on the cover. And so I did.
She deserves every second of the fame and attention associated with being a cover girl. Mackenzie is an inspiration. She has worked extremely hard to understand her world and the big feelings that go along with seeing a loved one undergo repeated medical trauma. Her strength, her spirit and her love for her brother inspires me every day.
Thank you, my sweet Mackenzie.