Our Stories

Patti Nochez works while most of the world is asleep. From midnight to 8 a.m., she’s part of the guest services team at Sorrentino’s Compassion House welcoming late arrivals, checking in on sleepless guests, and offering calm reassurance during the quietest hours of the night.

Before cancer changed my life, I was a singer and musician for over 20 years. In late 2003, I recorded a song called Sail Away, written by Roland Majeau.

Wendy Brebrich stayed at Sorrentino’s Compassion House in 2006 for about seven weeks, and she describes it as a bonding experience that made her stronger.

On a farm near Grande Prairie, Alberta, there’s a young heifer named Valentine who, with the help of her community, raised almost $30,000 for Compassion House Foundation.

When Terri Friesen walked back into her Grade 6 classroom after a year away, the students had one burning question for the educational assistant: “Where were you?”

The TV room was packed with hockey fans as guests gathered to cheer on their team. Game seven of the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs between the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers is one of Jo-ann Cunningham’s warmest memories from her stay at Sorrentino’s Compassion House.

Kim Doan hits a major milestone this year, and she’s planning an adventure to celebrate. “I turn 50 this year, so we’re going on a big trip.” 

Staying busy is in Marie Adams’ DNA, and after a second breast cancer diagnosis followed by radiation treatment in 2024, she’s more determined to make every hour count.

Louise was watching an Oilers hockey game with her husband when she scratched an itch and found a lump on her breast. “I always say the Oilers saved my life,” she jokes.

When Sundas first arrived at Sorrentino’s Compassion House, she described the feeling as “a breath of fresh air.”

When Barbara noticed a lump on her breast in 2015, she decided to make an appointment with her doctor. After a mammogram followed by a biopsy, she was told what no woman wants to hear: it was breast cancer. “I held myself together in the office but once I was home, I cried,” she said.

November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month.‍ To help raise awareness and empower those who are navigating this challenging diagnosis, we want to share our guest Allice’s story.‍ Lung cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Canada, with 1 in 15 Canadian women will develop lung cancer during their lifetime.