With a recent cancer diagnosis, Kristen Atkinson has had her life plans put on hold as she prepares to undergo treatment, but her hometown sought to make some aspects of this challenge a bit easier.

So, Atkinson’s Bar – the local watering hole once owned by Kristen’s father, Johnny “K” Atkinson – held a fundraiser night on Saturday, complete with silent auctions, a 50/50, lots of donations and more, raising over $12,000 to help her out.

“It’s really, really overwhelming and so kind and thoughtful of all the people of Shawville,” said Kristen.

“I really feel it ten-fold and it is completely overwhelming, and I’m trying not to cry a million times, so it’s unreal what can happen when a small community comes together to support one of their own,” she continued.

Kristen’s trouble started when she began coughing blood. Upon a doctor’s examination, she was told it wasn’t pneumonia and that she’d likely be fine.

Then, doctors discovered a three-centimetre mass on her right lung just seven weeks ago, which was presumed to be lung cancer.

However, since this time the diagnosis has changed once again, to much more favourable results.

“I found out a couple of weeks ago that based on the pathology of the piece of the mass they took out, they now think that I have Hodgkin’s Lymphoma,” said Kristen. “Which is a turn for the better because I went from about a 30 per cent chance of a cure to an 80 per cent chance of a cure.”

She admits it hasn’t been easy dealing with these changing results, but is optimistic with the latest news.

“It’s been a bit of a roller coaster in terms of emotions,” she said, of enduring the diagnoses.

Upon hearing of Kristen’s diagnoses, a few locals came up with a plan to help her. Will Armitage, Jeff Hannaberry and bar manager September Hamilton decided that they could organize an evening to help out, but could hardly have expected the community’s response.

That’s because silent auction items, donations and more were almost immediately flooding in, as individuals and businesses were eager to support one of their own. Armitage purchased white bracelets to be sold at the door, with all funds going to Kristen, and a dollar from every beer sale was being donated, too.

Kristen’s own father even made a grand donation, putting his own guitar on the evening’s auction block. Of course, the community bought it back for him, leading to more than a few wet eyes that night.

All of this will help Kristen as she begins treatment, though that course remains uncertain. She’s waiting on biopsy results for the final determination but said there will be bouts of chemotherapy with the potential for radiation.

Still the results have put off many of her life plans for the foreseeable future, though she’s looking to stay positive through it all.

“Everything is kind of paused but I’m doing all the right things to try and make sure that when everything’s done and I’m better again, that I can have a nice, happy, normal, healthy life,” she said.

With the community’s support, she’s also realized that she’s not alone in overcoming this ordeal.

“The one takeaway that I’m getting from this whole experience is that oftentimes, people don’t get the opportunity to tell you how much they care until you’re sick or something’s wrong,” said Kristen. “It’s pretty overwhelming how amazing people can be.”

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