Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - March 21, 2024, Winnipeg, Manitoba “I have stage four cancer but I’m still here,” says 80-year-old Sylvia who has been living with non-Hodgkin lymphoma since the year 2000. Thanks to donors’ investment in local cancer research, today Sylvia is thriving. With her husband Gord by her side, Sylvia has been coming to CancerCare Manitoba for treatments for over 20 years. It hasn’t been an easy road. She has undergone intense chemotherapy treatments, experienced difficult side effects and allergic reactions and on more than one occasion, required blood transfusions to save her life. Still, she has remained positive and committed to living life to the fullest. In 2019, after almost 20 years of treatment, Sylvia’s chemotherapy stopped working. Sylvia and Gord were understandably anxious to find another treatment option. They were relieved to learn that thanks to years of donor-funded research, personalized approaches to treating cancer and blood disorders had advanced significantly. Advances in genomics and precision medicine gave them a renewed sense of hope. Thanks to donor investment in research, new molecular tests were available that could help doctors understand the genetic makeup of the cancer cells in Sylvia’s body, creating the possibility for a new treatment option. This testing led CancerCare Manitoba’s Dr. Versha Banerji to identify a novel treatment that targets the molecular makeup of the cancer cells in Sylvia’s body. As a result, today her cancer is being successfully treated through daily medication. And thankfully, she has few side effects. Sylvia continues with regular visits to CancerCare for blood work to ensure that the cancer is still responding to the treatment. She is thankful for the amazing care she receives. “Everyone treats us so well at CancerCare Manitoba,” said Sylvia. “They are all like family to me now.” She and Gord are grateful for the added years they have had together, after Gord’s own successful treatment for kidney cancer two years ago. Together they enjoy golfing, going out to their favourite restaurants with friends and attending concerts. Sylvia’s life has been full and rich and with you in her corner, the future looks incredibly bright. Your support gives hope and better outcomes for Manitobans with cancer. For that, Sylvia and Gord are eternally grateful. Thanks to your incredible commitment to ensuring Manitobans with cancer have access to leading-edge care, Bjorn is living his best life surrounded and supported by the people he cares about most. This is something he does not take for granted given he has been diagnosed with cancer three times and undergone three life-saving surgeries in the last three years. When he was just 27-years-old, Bjorn received the difficult news that he had testicular cancer. As a young, healthy, physically active person, the diagnosis was understandably surprising. Fortunately, Bjorn had been proactive with his health and went to see his doctor as soon as he suspected something was wrong. Following a number of scans and bloodwork, Bjorn was given a cancer diagnosis. “That was on a Friday afternoon and less than a week later, I underwent surgery.” Bjorn is grateful for the quick action by his oncology team at CancerCare Manitoba. “They always have a plan and that’s reassuring to me,” he said. After recovering from surgery, he was able to get back to doing things he loves – spending time with friends and family, exercising and returning to work as an accountant. It was just nine months later following a routine scan that Bjorn’s oncologist detected cancer again. This time in the lymph nodes in his abdomen. Bjorn required complex abdominal surgery to remove the cancerous cells and hopefully prevent a future recurrence. Following surgery, in the height of the pandemic, Bjorn remained in hospital. Not being able to see his family was challenging and lonely. For the next couple of months, he allowed himself to enjoy the ‘down time’ to take care of his physical and mental health as he recovered. Unfortunately, that was not Bjorn’s last surgery. In January 2023 it was determined he would need a third surgery after a cancerous spot was found on one of his lungs. Thanks to donor-funded advancements in cancer care, the procedure would be non-invasive and would directly target the cancerous cells, while preserving the remainder of his lungs. For this, Bjorn is extremely grateful to people like you who support cancer research. Today, Bjorn is feeling positive about the future. In March of last year, two months after surgery and a day after his 30 th birthday he received the positive news there were no areas of concern on his scans. While he is still being closely monitored by his care team at CancerCare Manitoba, the time between scans and appointments has grown. And overall, he’s feeling great. Bjorn is committed to living a physically active lifestyle which he feels benefits his mental health as well. He plays a number of team sports and loves riding his bike. This June, Bjorn will once again be walking in Challenge for Life as the co-captain of the Canada Life team. “I’ve participated in this event for many years, but since my diagnosis, it’s become closer to my heart, and more meaningful. I feel really supported by my friends and family who walk with me and donate to support a great cause.” TOMORROWS TOGETHER M O R E GENEROUS DONORS HAVE BEEN THERE FOR SYLVIA, TIME AND AGAIN “Everyone treats us so well at CancerCare Manitoba.“They are all like family to me now.” –Sylvia BJORN IS GRATEFUL FOR DONORS’ SUPPORT AND THE DIFFERENCE IT HAS MADE IN HIS LIFE To honour the care they have both received, Sylvia and Gord joined the More Tomorrows Legacy Circle by including CancerCare Manitoba Foundation in their wills. Donate today to support local cancer research in Manitoba. Here is my special gift of: $25 $50 $100 Other $ (Minimum $15 for tax receipt) Name Street Address City Province Postal Code Phone ( ) (Home) ( ) (Mobile) I prefer to give by: Cheque (Payable to CancerCare Manitoba Foundation) Credit Card (Fill out from below) CREDIT CARD: MasterCard Visa Amex Credit Card# Expiry Date / Cardholder Name CANCERCARE MANITOBA FOUNDATION ON1160-675 McDermot Ave. | Winnipeg MB | R3E 0V9 S N L 2 4 Say “YES” and #TaketheChallenge on June 1. Hearing the words “you have cancer” is the moment everything changes. For the 19 Manitobans each day who hear those words it is crucial to know there is support. And there is hope. You can provide patients and their families with hope by taking part in the Challenge for Life. Challenge for Life returns once again to Assiniboine Park on June 1 where you can choose either a 20k or 5k walk or you can Work It by participating in 200 minutes of exercise. You may also register to do your walk or workout virtually, from anywhere between May 25 - June 1. Join your fellow Challengers in the 17th annual Challenge for Life and help Manitobans affected by cancer …because you can! Register Now. ChallengeForLife.ca 204-784-2777 Will You Take the Challenge Fundraise your way and get creative with how you can make a difference! Have you thought about holding an event but don’t know where to start? It’s easy as 1-2-3! Learn more at cancercarefdn.mb.ca/fundraise Let’s work together to create hope for cancer patients and their families. Register your stand, pick a date and time to host it and begin fundraising! Free starter kits available. Get your kit at lemonadeforhope.ca O n l i n e : M o r eTo m o r r o w s To g e t h e r. c a /g i v e P h o n e : ( 2 0 4 ) 7 8 7 - 4 1 4 3 C a n c e r C a r e M a n i t o b a F o u n d a t i o n O N 1 1 6 0 - 6 7 5 M c D e r m o t A v e , W i n n i p e g , M B , R 3 E 0 V 9 Bjorn and his teammates on the Canada Life team participating in Challenge for Life. THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 2024WINNIPEGFREEPRESS.COM ● A7 THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 2024 A6 ● WINNIPEGFREEPRESS.COM ;