Childhood cancer survivors hosting Stonewall fundraiser Saturday

Lemonade fundraiser planned May 17 in Stonewall

What began as a difficult journey through cancer treatment has grown into a friendship rooted in resilience, gratitude and a desire to give back.

Kwintyn Dziedzic, 11, of West St. Paul and Abigail Snyder, 8, of Winnipeg first met while receiving treatment for Burkitt lymphoma at the Children’s Hospital at Health Sciences Centre. Now both cancer-free, the pair is teaming up with their families to raise money for CancerCare Manitoba Foundation’s Challenge for Life.

The children and their mothers will host a lemonade stand from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. during the Stonewall Town-Wide Garage Sale this Saturday in the École Centennial School parking lot, rain or shine. Homemade cookies, chocolate bars and lemonade will be available.

“Kwintyn was diagnosed with stage three Burkitt lymphoma,” said his mother, Kimberly Dziedzic. “It’s a fairly rare form of cancer. Very fast-growing. Very aggressive.”

Shortly after Kwintyn’s diagnosis in August 2025, Abigail was diagnosed with the same rare cancer. As the two children underwent nearly identical treatment plans on the oncology ward, they formed a close friendship while navigating months of hospital stays, chemotherapy and time away from school, sports and family life.

Kwintyn said he remembers the quiet of the hospital most.

“Some days it was great, but at the beginning it was really boring and kind of lonely,” he said.

He and Abigail first connected after their mothers met in the hallway. The children later met while visiting with Finnie the therapy dog.

“It was nice to meet another kid around my age, and then she had the same cancer as me,” Kwintyn said. “It was kind of weird yet cool.”

Kimberly said the connection was more meaningful than she initially realized.

“It honestly wasn’t even on my radar at the beginning. I just wanted my son better,” she said. “But in walked this little girl one day on the unit, and she was just exuding all this sass and fun that Kwin had only a few weeks before. The diagnosis really got him down, so I was incredibly happy to hear them both laughing again.”

Kwintyn has been cancer-free since Nov. 5 and has returned to many of the activities he loves, including school, badminton and soccer. He said returning to school was difficult at first because he felt behind, but his teacher and friends have helped.

His mother said being cancer-free means their family gets their son back.

“He’s back to playing with his little sisters and being a loving pest to his big sisters,” she said. “It honestly means the world to have them together again.”

Kimberly said cancer forced Kwintyn to grow up quickly.

“He’s grown up a lot, which is good but also sad,” she said. “A parent wants their child to remain a child and play, learn and grow in their time. Cancer forces something different.”

During treatment, Kwintyn said one of the things he missed most was his dog, Dean.

“Dean is like my best buddy,” he said. “The first time I got to go home, all I did was lay on the couch, and he lay on top of me to get cuddles.”

Now that he is recovering, he is looking forward to summer camp — something he was supposed to attend before his diagnosis.

“I was about to leave for camp when I was diagnosed, so I was pretty bummed,” he said. “I’m really excited to go have fun this summer.”

Kimberly said community support played a major role throughout treatment and recovery.

“The support from my hometown area, family, friends, Kwintyn’s friends, classmates and teachers — both past and present — was nothing short of a heaven-sent answer to prayer,” she said.

The family also received support from organizations including The Dream Factory and Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Support Programs, which assists families of children battling or recovering from cancer.

Kimberly described Candlelighters as a vital support network that helped families stay connected and provided practical assistance, including parking passes, financial support and events for children and siblings.

“They made sure you didn’t fade into the background, and that your family had some normal experiences while navigating such a crazy time,” she said. “Connections and support build better foundations for better care.”

The lemonade stand also has a personal connection for the Dziedzic family. Kimberly said Kwintyn and his sister used to hold lemonade stands almost every summer when they lived in Teulon.

“I feel like this was just a comfortable continuation of that,” she said.

Kwintyn said he wanted to take part because CancerCare has done so much for him.

Raising money for Challenge for Life is important, he added, “because it helps me think about others, and it’s a way to give back.”

Kimberly said the fundraiser is about more than raising money.

“I just hope it brings people together,” she said. “It gives our kids the ability to learn that even though they went through something terrible, it doesn’t need to define their entire life but rather give them cause and a purpose to help others fight.”

Kwintyn said he hopes people who stop by the lemonade stand think about “how good the lemonade is and that they want more.”

“And how strong we are when we are fighting together,” he added.