About Mike

Michael Webster was a friend to many. He grew up in Mississauga, Ontario, 30 minutes west of Toronto, with two wonderful parents, Tom and Marnie, and a loving sister two years older than him, Nicole. His life was on regular course until June of 2001 when at the age 14 he was diagnosed with Ewings Sarcoma, a rare bone cancer in his pelvic bone.

He fought his cancer at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto and his initial treatment was prescribed as one year of chemotherapy. After completing 31 doses of radiation in June of 2002, the cancer stayed away until March of 2003 when it was found in his ribs and vertebrae. The fight continued. In June of 2003 he underwent surgery to remove his affected ribs and in July of 2003 he was admitted for a stem cell transplant. His immune system was so weak at this time that he couldn’t be around people for 3 months. In March of 2004 the cancer returned with a vengeance, spreading to most of his organs and forcing any subsequent treatment to be palliative. Mike continued treatment with oral chemotherapy- keeping the fight alive. In May of 2004 he and his family went on a final trip together, a cruise to the Bahamas, to enjoy their final time together. Michael passed away in August of 2004 at the age of 17.

How Chris Remembers Mike:

Given that our parents were friends since high school and our sisters were the same age as each other and friends too, this naturally meant that Mike and I would grow up together- and we did.

I will remember Mike as the kind, polite and agreeable person that everyone knew him as. Mike was the type of person who never offended anyone, never spoke rudely about anyone, and never put himself first. As young kids, Mike and I had a particular bond over video games, having sleepovers whenever possible and playing games until we were told to go to sleep. We also both started playing hockey in the same league together and travelled to Florida together several times with the rest of our families.

If you were to pick the best mannered and most likeable kid out of the all the families that were part of our parents’ circle of friends, it would have been Mike. He was that person - the one that each of us knows, the one who would never bring anyone else down. Maybe it’s this fact that sometimes makes it so hard to understand why he was the one who got sick.

Mike’s battle with cancer represents something different for us all. BikeforMike is a way to remember our friend, Michael, and to help improve the treatment and care of those children who are battling to beat cancer each and everyday.

Click on the following photos to enlarge them.