When Heather Rielly thinks about all of the milestones she shared with her late best friend, what she remembers most about Heidi Schlumpf is her naturally warmhearted personality.
When Heather Rielly thinks about all of the milestones she shared with her late best friend, what she remembers most about Heidi Schlumpf is her naturally warmhearted personality.
“Above all else, she was really just kind,” Rielly said over the phone from Peterborough on Friday. “I think that’s what stands out to most people that knew her. To know Heidi was to love her. Whether it was her kindness or her generosity or her thoughtfulness, she was always doing those little things that have great impact.”
Rielly and Schlumpf were roommates during their undergraduate studies at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, and then again at teacher’s college at Western University in London. They kept in close contact afterwards, celebrated each other’s life goals, and eventually started families around the same time.
Whether it was a simple thank you note, sending a gift or checking in on someone she knew was going through a hard time, Schlumpf always took the extra step to let the people around her know she cared, Rielly said. “That really was who Heidi was to everybody.”
Schlumpf, a Perth County teacher and mother of four children in Listowel, died Aug. 10, about 14 months after being diagnosed with triple-negative metastatic breast cancer. Her funeral five days later was filled with family, friends and colleagues. She was 34.
“Heidi left her mark on this world leaving rays of sunshine wherever she went,” her obituary said. “She will be remembered for embracing motherhood, her thoughtfulness for others and her eloquent way with words as she navigated life with cancer.”
The struggles Schlumpf faced following her diagnosis are well documented on Instagram, where she often posted frankly about her experiences and emotions. As her follower count grew, Schlumpf took more opportunities to make a positive impact.
On her birthday last year – Sept. 8 – she encouraged family and friends to perform random acts of kindness and post about them on Instagram. The hashtag #putakinddeedinyourfeed ended up taking off, and hundreds posts began coming in from across other parts of the province.
Afterwards, Schlumpf teamed up with local small businesses in Listowel on something called the Booby Box, a carefully selected mystery box of local goods she used to raise funds and awareness for the type of cancer she was facing. A gala dinner Schlumpf organized with a friend brought in more funds.
The money Schlumpf raised went to a London Health Sciences Foundation fund specifically established for research into triple-negative metastatic breast cancer. As of Friday, Schlumpf’s LHSC fundraising page showed $122,250, more than $22,000 above the goal she originally set.
“The way she navigated her diagnosis with four young children was really something to admire,” Rielly said. “To see the way she moved through that diagnosis with strength and grace while really trying to live life and give her children memories and allow their lives to feel as normal as possible … was really something.”
This year, Schlumpf’s family and friends want to continue his legacy of kindness.
On Sept. 8, what would have been her 35th birthday, they’re taking over her hashtag. A separate Instagram page – @putakinddeedinyourfeed – has been set up for the campaign and organizers are urging participants to tag it when they post their good deeds.
Schlumpf “really lived that in the way that she responded to her own diagnosis, through action and passion,” Rielly said. “Her kids … don’t really have a sense of the power of this campaign and the legacy of their mom yet, but the hope is that years from now we can look back and see all of this kindness.
“Really, she was quite an inspiring person.”