As Joanne Schiewe watched the Tragically Hip take the stage in Winnipeg earlier this month, she knew all too well what frontman Gord Downie was going through.
In Feb, 2015, Schiewe was diagnosed with glioblastoma: the same type of terminal brain cancer Downie is fighting. After a protracted battle, Schiewe passed away on Monday. She was 36.
鈥淎fter five straight days of the hardest fight, that only a true champion's heart could muster, Jo finally left us,鈥� Schiewe鈥檚 partner, Jared Spier, wrote in a Facebook post.
鈥淪he was surrounded by incredible love, but as Jo inspired such beauty (and ridiculousness) in those around her, that seemed to always be the case.鈥�
Schiewe and Spier saw the Hip鈥檚 farewell tour on Aug. 5 at Winnipeg鈥檚 MTS Centre. Although they initially couldn鈥檛 nab tickets, friends and fans banded together to donate a pair.
Schiewe fought her battle in public, frequently turning to Facebook and local media to tell her story and raise awareness about her cancer. She maintained a tongue-in-cheek sense of humour throughout. In one July Facebook post, she uploaded an image of her growing tumour next to a bottle of perspiring beer under a four letter expletive.
Schiewe鈥檚 medical ordeal included two brain surgeries, 30 rounds of radiation and 12 cycles of chemotherapy. A dedicated tri-athlete, Schiewe was able to raise thousands of dollars for brain cancer research through numerous fundraisers before her death.
With files from CTV Winnipeg
