The WWOOF and farming community runs on generosity: hosts who open their homes and farms, and volunteers who give their time and energy.
Amazia Farm in Oliver, British Columbia, is one of those places. This family-run organic farm has welcomed hundreds of WWOOF volunteers over the past decade, and for many, it became a home away from home. At the heart of that experience is the Kosaka family, who open up their lives to everyone who walks through the gate. Ash grew up on the farm and is a big part of what makes Amazia so special. Charismatic and outgoing, he makes everyone feel welcome and puts his whole heart into his work, his friendships and his family. Volunteers remember him teaching them the ropes of farming one minute and having the whole table laughing, or belting out karaoke, the next.
At 20, Ash was healthy, fit and looking forward to the future. He and his partner Sara were tree planting in northern British Columbia and Alberta, working toward their studies and planning to return to the family farm. Then in July, Ash was diagnosed with Stage IV alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, an extremely rare and aggressive cancer. He faces more than a year of chemotherapy, surgery and radiation, followed by years of monitoring, and he can no longer work.
Through it all, Ash keeps fighting. On the days he feels well enough, he goes for bike rides and hikes. He and Sara are also expecting a baby, a joyful reminder of the future they’re fighting for.
Because this cancer is so rare in someone so young, the family is looking into specialists, clinical trials and treatment options not covered by the health system, while also managing travel to treatment and lost income.
The Kosaka family and Amazia Farm have been outstanding members of our community for almost a decade. Now, as they face something no family should have to go through, we have the chance to return a fraction of the kindness they showed our community.
If you can, please share or donate to their fundraiser.
To donate or share: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-ash-fight-cancer-and-build-a-future
Photo: Ash and Sara, from Amazia Farm