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DRIVING SEASON I S F I N A L L Y H E R E BI-WEEKLY LEASE OFFER for 48 months / $2,595 down. Excludes HST. $119‡ 0.99%at APR THE 2015 MAZDA6: IS IT ART OR INNOVATION? When function and form are treated as one, engineering is elevated to an art form. The all-new Mazda6 is the product of engineer and designer working in unison, from start to finish, daring to reimagine the automobile as a whole. It is the true definition of the modern sports sedan, because contrary to what convention may think, beauty is more than skin deep. And performance is more than an emblem. They're everything underneath. GET0% PURCHASEFINANCING† PAYMENTSFOR 90 DAYS+ ON ALL 2014AND 2015MODELS. Achilles Mazda of Milton 1195 Steeles Ave East, Milton ON L9T2X8 289-627-1800 or 1-866-620-3248 www.achillesmazda.ca • info@achillesmazda.ca REFINANCING? PURCHASING? BOBWOODS, Broker (905) 877-1490 360 Guelph St., Georgetown Five Year Fixed FSCO #10259 Division of 1490845 Ont. Ltd. 2.99% Thursday, May 8, 2014 Halton Hills' award-winning newspaper serving Acton & Georgetown 64 Pages 50 Cents (+HST) Visit us at www.theifp.ca INSIDE Sports Pgs. 30, 31 Road construction days Pg. 3 Wheels 4 page section Bronze girls Online at www.theifp.ca Thanks Mom, for being there for me This Mother's Day is going to be extra spe- cial for one Georgetown family. On Sunday, 21-year-old Zach Pearson will be making his pitching debut with the Guelph Royals of the Intercounty Baseball League, at Schmidt & Shaw Stadium in Barrie. For any mom, it's a proud moment; for Candace Pearson, more so. Zach is a cancer survivor. On a chilly April afternoon, Candace and her curly-haired son Zach, relax in the newly decorated living room of their Georgetown home. Zach is tall with an athletic build, and his mom says baseball has always been at the heart of his dreams and aspirations. "He loves baseball. It has always been what he wanted to do since he was three years old," says Candace. But at the tender age of 13, Zach's future wasn't nearly as certain. The family's ordeal began in September 2005. "I started feeling unusually tired all the time. I thought it was a normal part of growing up," says Zach, recalling that difficult time in his life. A few days after going to the hospital for what they hoped would be a routine visit, Zach's mother and father, Mike Pearson, found themselves sitting in the sterile environment of a small McMaster Hospital family room. "The small room made me nervous, they only sit you there when they have bad news," says Candace. Then the attending oncologist, accompa- nied by a volunteer from the Make-A-Wish Foundation broke the news -- Zach had acute lymphocytic leukemia, a type of bone marrow cancer that destroys white and red blood cells. They were told he would be starting chemo- therapy that evening. "They both left the room, the door swung open, and Zach walked in on Mike and I in a very emotional state. He knew right away," Candace remembers. "Nobody said a word to me, they didn't have to, there was a silent understanding," Zach says of that moment. On Oct. 8 -- Thanksgiving -- Zach's con- dition went from bad to worse. He had contracted an infection around the tube used to deliver a powerful cocktail of anti-cancer drugs and painkillers, landing him in intensive care. Zach went into septic shock, the medical term used to describe a severe infection of the blood, and for which the mortality rate can be as high as 70 per cent. He was immediately placed in a medically- induced coma to help stave off the infection. "It all happened so fast. I had a conver- sation with Zach, told him I loved him, and stepped out of the room for two minutes to get a coffee. When I came back he was un- conscious, hooked up to life support, and fighting for his life," says Zach's mom. SEE PEARSON, PG. 8 By MARC SGRIGNOLI Special to the IFP Zach Pearson gives his mom, Candace a hug for all her support to help survive cancer and realize his dream to be a baseball player. Photo by Eamonn Maher H5 wrap-up. Home Lawn & Garden inside