Fundraiser aims to support family of young cancer victim, SickKids Hospital

Last updated on May 21, 2026

Posted on May 21, 2026

3 min read

When Alma’s Erika Sikkema started organizing the run, she hoped her seven-year-old niece, Madilyn Boonstra, would be there to participate this Saturday.

Unfortunately, she died on March 6 from diffuse midline glioma, a rare and aggressive brain cancer that primarily affects children.

The Run for Madilyn, set for May 23 at the Alma Community Centre, is co-organized by the Optimist Club of Alma, with 50 per cent of the proceeds going to the family to help cover burial costs. The other half will go to the Brain Tumour Research Centre at SickKids.

Madilyn Boonstra was seven years old when she died from brain cancer in March. [Andrea Eymann]

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