Meagan's Story
Born in Toronto in 1996, Meagan Bebenek was a loving young girl who adored her family, friends, and animals of all kinds, especially her pets. Like most little kids, Meagan enjoyed many simple childhood pleasures, including dancing, drawing, swimming, and riding her bicycle.
When Meagan was four years old, to the shock of so many people who loved her, she was diagnosed with brain stem glioma, a malignant and inoperable brain tumour. For Meagan and all those close to her, life would never be the same again.
Based on this diagnosis, Meagan began radiation treatments and participated in a trial drug study, the best option that could be offered at the time. Throughout this difficult period, the community embraced the Bebenek family, doing everything possible to attend to day-to-day concerns, provide practical support, and assure the family that they were not alone. This was the beginning of the “circle of hope” that would soon become Meagan’s Walk, then Meagan’s HUG and now Meagan Bebenek Foundation (MBF).
Sadly, Meagan died shortly after her fifth birthday, less than six months following the diagnosis. But in her honour, the charity flourished and has since raised more than $6.0 million for paediatric brain tumour research and continues to make a global impact. A community of hope, MBF provides much needed support to children like her, who have been affected by serious illness.
As Denise, Meagan’s mother says, “There is nothing more precious than when people come together to support those who need us most: our children.”
