Get ready to HUG!

You’re invited! Celebrate our 20thanniversary with us and be part of our HUG movement! A movement to spread Hope, Kindness and Love across our communities, country and around the world. A HUG can change things. It can heal, it can transform; it can show support and speak volumes when we often can’t find the right words.

That’s right! Rain or shine, we have walked and joined hands and created the “circle of hope”, and for 20 years have worked to change the world for children diagnosed with a brain tumour!

This year is special…a little different! With the pandemic restricting how we can gather, we are launching 20 Years of HUGs, a spirited all virtual fundraising campaign. Visit our event website for all the latest information and updates. Registration for this virtual campaign is free. You can join as an individual or with a team.

The 20 Years of HUGS campaign runs until June 2021.

Why do we HUG?

•  to share a message of hope and to encourage each other
•  to draw attention to the challenges that come with brain tumours
•  to celebrate the world of scientific discovery and the breakthroughs in research that are helping children affected by brain tumours
•  to continue our tireless efforts to improve the care and outcomes for young brain tumour patients

Get involved, make a difference, have fun along the way. Participate in our 20 activities for 20 years of Meagan’s HUG! To be eligible to participate in the contests, you’ll need to be a registered HUG campaign participant. There’s an activity calendar to help keep you involved and on track. Here are your first few activities.

Movement Goal (until June 30th)



Set a goal for how active you want to be throughout the campaign. It doesn’t matter if your plan is to walk, run, cycle or even swim. The important thing is that you are moving. Let’s call this your movement goal. Track your progress and we will check in with you during the campaign to see how you are doing.

Hug Cards (Until February 14)



Send love and HUGS this Valentine's Day with an e-card from Meagan's HUG! Let the special people in your life know you are thinking about them and help raise money to support paediatric brain tumour research.

Snow Day Fun (February 15th to February 28th)

Who doesn’t love getting out in the fresh air to play in the snow? As Canadians, building a snowman or snow fort is just part of our DNA. We’d love to see your creations. Share the pictures on social media and tag @meaganshug and @thelunchlady and you will be eligible to win a $50 gift certificate for a Family Style Meal from The Lunch Lady. Be sure to follow both Meagan's HUG and the Lunch Lady on social media to see who wins!

Watch the calendar for the next activities, and get ready to join in. You can also create your own plans to share the message, raise funds, be part of the action!

In 2013, ten-year-old Jess started experiencing nausea and headaches that were so agonizing they would rouse her from her sleep almost every night.

When Jess’s paediatrician discovered pressure building on her optic nerve, he told the family to go immediately to SickKids. There, a CT scan revealed a brain stem astrocytoma.

“I didn’t really understand what a brain tumour meant,” recalls Jess. “But I quickly learned.”

Jess and her parents were told that the tumour was inoperable and the best treatment option was 70 rounds of chemotherapy.

After her ninth session, Jess suffered a stroke. While recovering in hospital, her doctors discovered that the chemotherapy hadn’t worked as they had hoped.

“We were horrified to learn that,” shares Jess. “Because we’d also been told that the tumour was inoperable.”

The tumour had in fact grown in such a way that her surgeons could remove it more easily. The procedure would be risky though—an operation Jess was told she might not survive. But ten hours later, she awoke smiling to the news that the majority of the mass was gone.

Today, what remains of the tumour is still considered inoperable, but Jess hasn’t needed further treatment. Several health challenges, including epilepsy and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), are the enduring scars of her brave battle. But they haven’t stopped her from staying active. Jess enjoys long distance running, dance and playing with her beloved golden doodle, Bronson.

Jess admits that at times her journey with cancer felt isolating, but she found moments of joy and richness through Meagan’s HUG. It’s where she met her best friend and fellow Meagan’s HUG Hero Jadyn Schill.

Today, it’s her platform to advocate for paediatric brain tumour research.

“I feel certain that so many of the advances in treatment for paediatric brain tumours have come from funding from Meagan’s HUG,” smiles Jess.

Jess’s interest in research has become a career ambition. A focused student, she is applying to universities to study biochemistry and neuroscience and looks forward to a career of life-long discovery.

Submitted by Anna Muir