Stephanie Christopoulos lights up when her older sister’s name is mentioned. 

“She’s my favourite thing to talk about,” Stephanie says, of Ashley. “She was my very best friend.” 

Ashley was a huge sports fan, playing soccer and cheering on her favourite sports teams—the Edmonton Oilers and the Toronto Blue Jays. She even worked for sports companies, designing their logos, while running her own design company, Max and Gray Design. 

 She loved Star Wars and Comic-Con and going to movies and concerts. She was “loud and proud,” according to Stephanie—a “vibrant person.” 

Ashley especially loved her kids, Max and Gray, and making fun memories for them.  

“The word no family is ever prepared for”  

She was full of life, always seeking out new adventures. That’s why it wasn’t all that unexpected when she became more tired than usual. Her doctor attributed her exhaustion to being a busy mom. By the time her son’s birthday rolled around in January 2024, Ashley, then 39, needed some extra help prepping for the party.  

“She asked our mom to help clean,” Stephanie says. “She was just so tired.” 

A week or so later, Ashley was having severe headaches, nausea, confusion and weakness. She was rushed to the Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary, where she learned she had multiple brain tumours.  

“Soon after, we heard the word no family is ever prepared for,” says Stephanie. “Glioblastoma.” 

Ashley had surgery nine days after her diagnosis, with the hope of removing as much of her tumours as possible.  

“From that point on, the disease moved quickly,” Stephanie says. “Ashley lost many of her cognitive abilities and never regained the ability to walk.”  

She did chemotherapy and radiation as well, though the tumour continued to progress. One year after her diagnosis, Ashley died at just 40 years old. 

The greatest heartbreak 

Today, Ashley’s husband is raising their two children, now eight and four, with the support of a close-knit family. Stephanie says her nephew has shown incredible strength through his grief, while her niece, who was only two when Ashley became ill, is still learning to understand what happened. 

“She’ll say things like, ‘My mom was in the hospital, but now she’s in heaven,’” Stephanie says. 

For Stephanie, grief is something that continues to evolve. 

“Losing my sister has been the greatest heartbreak of my life,” she says. “You just never think you’ll have to live without that person.” 

Despite everything glioblastoma took from Ashley, it never erased who she was. Stephanie remembers her sister’s quick wit, fierce independence and larger-than-life personality. 

When Ashley began losing her ability to speak, her family created a communication board with phrases she could point to, like “I’m hungry” or “I’m thirsty.” Instead, Ashley picked up a marker and wrote two simple words—an expletive, followed by “you.” 

“It was just so her,” Stephanie says with a laugh. “You didn’t tell Ashley what to do. She told you what to do.” 

Keeping Ashley’s memory alive 

Those moments remind Stephanie of the sister she misses every day. 

“It’s just hard to believe how quickly everything changed,” she says. 

This June, Stephanie took part in the Brain Tumour Walk for the first time in Calgary, walking in Ashley’s memory while raising funds for brain tumour research and support programs. 

“I’m glad the Foundation exists,” she says. “It’s important that people have somewhere to support each other.” 

By walking in Ashley’s memory, Stephanie hopes to make a difference for other families whose lives are changed by brain tumours.  

“I’m still obsessed with her,” Stephanie says, “and I always will be.”