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in si de ha lto n. co m O ak vi lle B ea ve r | T hu rs da y, S ep te m be r 6, 20 18 | 48484 Make this the year you discover a new destination! Metroland Media's Hal-Metroland Media's Hal-M ton division photojournalistton division photojournalistt Nikki Wesley is thinking out-Nikki Wesley is thinking out-N side of the box with a new pro- file series that aims to shine afile series that aims to shine af different light on those who call Halton home. Interviewcall Halton home. Interviewc subjects are asked to pose for photos with an item that is important to them. The Beaver continues its regular Q&A feature with Kate Murray. The 42-year- old director of operations for MitoCanada Foundation is proud mom to Robbie. To- gether, mother and son founded Robbie's Rainbowfounded Robbie's Rainbowf Children's Charity, a non- profit dedicated to improv- ing the lives of children liv- ing with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, which are types of inflammatory bowel disorders that attack the di- gestive track. Kate and Rob- bie, who lives with Crohn's disease, have been featured in the newspaper for their philanthropic work in the community. Now, Wesley turns her lens on Murray in an effort to get to know the woman behind the cause. Describe your- self in one word. Benevolent Q: How would your loved ones describe you? A: Driven Q: What are your favou- rite qualities in a person? A: Kind, compassionate, sense of humour and ambi- tious. Q: What is your idea of happiness? A: Being spontaneous and kind. It's the little things that bring the greatest joy. Q: What are you most passionate about? A: I love to run. No matter what kind of day I've had, good or bad, it lifts my spir- its. There's nothing better than feeling the warmth of the sun on your face, the crunch of gravel under your feet and breathing in thefeet and breathing in thef fresh air. It's my time to prob-fresh air. It's my time to prob-f lem-solve, contemplate and decompress. Q: What's your favou- rite smell? A: The smell of rain, bet- ter known as petrichor. Q: What's your least fa- vourite word? A: Seriously. Q: Who are your heroes and why? A: Jane Addams. She was known as the mother of so- cial work. Jane was a femi- nist, peace activist and an advocate for women, chil- dren and immigrants in her time. She was the second woman to receive a Nobel Peace Prize, in 1931. She wrote 11 books, helped re- form child labour laws andform child labour laws andf workers' compensation. She was a woman ahead of her time, dedicated to improv- ing the quality of life of those in her community, national- ly and internationally. Violet Lilley. My grand-Violet Lilley. My grand-V mother. She was a kind, pa- tient and compassionate woman. I loved her sense of humour and her love for her family. She was an engagedfamily. She was an engagedf member of her community, giving her time to her church, neighbours and friends, when and whereverfriends, when and whereverf needed. She loved to fuss over people, which made you feel cared for. Since myyou feel cared for. Since myy grandmother passed away before my daughter's birth, I gave my grandmother's name to my daughter as a middle name, so she carries a little bit of my grandmoth- er's magic throughout her life. Q: Who is your favou- rite fictional character and why? A: Alice, from Alice in Wonderland. I was so mes-Wonderland. I was so mes-W merized by Alice as a child. She was curious and kind, all the while navigating a mysterious world where nothing made sense. I thought her frustration was comical, and I found Alice's curiosity magical. I'd find myself peering into hol- lowed-out trees as a child, wondering if there really was something down there. It was the first book I was deeply engrossed in, and it birthed a beautiful love for reading. Q: What inspired you to start Robbie's Rainbow? A: A mother's love for her child. To witness a mother begging for a therapy that could potentially restore her child's health but be met with such a hefty financial burden, one that was so out of reach for her, was heart- breaking and unjust. I want- ed to try my very best to en- sure we could ease the bur- den by removing financial barriers. This way, parents could focus on providing the love and support their child would need to get better. Q: What is something you wish everyone knewyou wish everyone knewy about you? A: I have no idea what I'm doing; I am really just feeling my way through this won- derfully awesome life. Q: If you could give the world one piece of advice, what would it be? A: I have to borrow one from Epictetus, as it is myfrom Epictetus, as it is myf mantra in life: "It is not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters." Q: Why is this bracelet important to you? A: This bracelet was giv- en to my son Robbie shortly after he was diagnosed with Crohn's disease. He spent a lot of time in the hospital and, at the time, "bravery beads" weren't used for chil- dren with his disease. He was gifted this bracelet to give him courage and strength. He could take it off and grasp it in his hand when having a needle, IV or while having an NG tube in- serted (a tube inserted up through the nose and into the stomach). It was some- thing to anchor his thoughts and rarely left his little wrist. With time, the brace- let was removed less and less. One day, he took it off and said he didn't need it anymore, but he always wanted it to be close by. He wrapped it around my wrist and said it might give me strength and courage when I needed it, too. The bracelet sometimes leaves my wrist, travelling over to my daugh- ter when she needs it to get through a school day, or to my second son when he's go- ing away, but the bracelet is always returned - lovingly snapped back onto my wrist by one of my children, a home until it's needed again. . . . If you know someone who should be considered for this profile series, email Nikki Wesley at nwesley@met- roland.com. THINKING OUTSIDE OF THE BOX: KATE MURRAY Robbie's Rainbow founder Kate Murray holds a bracelet that is near and dear to her heart. The bracelet was gifted to her son Robbie, who lives with Crohn's disease, to give him courage and strength as he underwent medical treatments and therapies. Nikki Wesley/Metroland NIKKI WESLEY nwesley@metroland.com COMMUNITY Get coupons for products you use and loveflyers. coupons. shopping lists. Shop Smart Print coupons instantly or receive by mail - free! Redeem coupons at any major retailer in Canada. Learn more at Save.ca/mobile