A 22-year-old Montrealer wrote a heartfelt appeal to Ellen DeGeneres, asking the television host for her help to save the life of someone she’s never even met before.
And although Angela Sirianni doesn’t know Matthew Schreindorfer personally, she heard his story and felt compelled to act.
A Laval resident, Schreindorfer made headlines after crowdfunding his way to experimental cancer treatment in New York. His fight with cancer has been a very open and public one, with Schreindorfer often taking the time to update and thank followers on his Help Save Matthew Facebook page.
WATCH BELOW: Matthew Schreindorfer’s battle with cancer
He was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in August 2014, shortly after marrying his high school sweetheart Katia Luciani.
After numerous ups and downs, Schreindorfer’s cancer is back and his only remaining treatment option in Seattle comes with a hefty price tag.
Now Schreindorfer and his family are once again busy fundraising and hoping for a second miracle.
That’s were Sirianni comes in.
She wrote to DeGeneres, not to ask to be featured on the show or even to ask for donations, but simply to help spread the word.
“All I’m asking is for some kind of mentioning of Matthew’s story,” Sirianni wrote in a Facebook post to DeGeneres. “I’ve seen the joy that you bring to everyone that watches you. I have seen you turn people’s lives around. But most of all I have seen the hope that you have brought into the lives of the most deserving individuals.”
To Sirianni, Schreindorfer is one such deserving individual.
“Matthew is a fighter, and he’s a hero. He’s a fighter because no matter how hard his hand of card was, he has never given up,” she said. “Matthew is a hero because he’s spreading awareness about this disease.”
Sirianni is referring to Schreindorfer’s efforts at lobbying the government to help bring life-saving immunotherapy treatments to Quebec and Canada.
READ MORE: Immunotherapy: cancer treatment that helped Matthew Schreindorfer comes to Montreal
Schreindorfer’s story resonated with Sirianni on a personal level as well.
She recently lost her own father to pancreatic cancer.
“From the day of his diagnosis, my family and I only got two short months with him,” Sirianni said.
WATCH BELOW: Montrealer Angela Sirianni reflects on her father’s battle with cancer and why she’s hoping Ellen DeGeneres will help save Matthew Schreindorfer’s life.
And much of that time was spent worrying how the family would get by financially.
Sirianni now wishes they had spent less time thinking about money and more time in meaningful conversations.
“This is one of my biggest regrets, and I want to make sure that no one who is in such a predicament feels this way,” she wrote and that includes Schreindorfer.
Sirianni reached out to DeGeneres via Facebook on Dec. 15.
There is no word yet on whether DeGeneres has replied to her earnest missive.
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