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09/05: Making a difference in the lives of cancer patients
First annual BC Cancer Agency Community Care Award open to nominations
People kept dying in Deanna Duff’s family, and dying quickly. Her aunts, mother, and finally her 24-year-old cousin all succumbed to cancer. And when the reason for their deaths was discovered – a genetic mutation that causes gastric cancer to run rife in certain families – Duff’s family doctor wasn’t going to let her risk dying without a fight.
“I didn’t know it at the time, but giving my doctor the information about this mutation was the best decision I could have ever made for my health,” Duff, a Kamloops resident, says. “He wasted no time and immediately searched out opinions from his colleagues. Most importantly, he insisted that I should take this very seriously and go get tested for the mutation.”
But the decision to get tested was a difficult one and there was always an excuse: not enough life insurance, not enough time, too many implications. It took her two years, and throughout that time her doctor never stopped urging Duff to find out if she had the mutation.
“I’d see him at Starbucks, at birthday parties, and in his office, and he would corner me and ask if I’d been tested yet,” she explains. “What’s amazing is that he never let the topic go.”
That’s why Duff believes her doctor is a perfect candidate for the first BC Cancer Agency Community Care Award. The award is being introduced today to recognize those community caregivers who go above and beyond in providing support to cancer patients.
“As an organization providing care through networks across British Columbia, the BC Cancer Agency wants to pay tribute to the valuable contributions our community partners make,” explains Ursula Lee, BC Cancer Agency Fraser Valley Centre oncologist. “Every day we hear stories about the many people who go far beyond the call of duty to help improve the lives of people living with cancer. This award will acknowledge the amazing caregivers in our communities.”
Any community caregiver is eligible for the award, for example, nurses, volunteers, physiotherapists, hospice workers, family doctors, or surgeons, to name a few. Sponsored by the BC Cancer Foundation, nominations for the BC Cancer Agency Community Care Award are being accepted from anywhere in British Columbia.
Kelowna-Mission MLA Sindi Hawkins has experienced the benefit of community care, both as a supporter and a survivor. “Through my own experience with leukemia I know first hand that there are numerous people - caring and generous individuals – involved in cancer care in B.C. who go above and beyond simply doing a job and they deserve to be recognized,” she says. “It is important that we acknowledge their work and dedication to helping cancer patients in communities across the province.”
One nominee will be chosen to receive the award by a panel of caregivers, community supporters, and patients. The award recipient will be announced on November 24 at the BC Cancer Agency’s annual award banquet in Vancouver. Travel and accommodation will be provided. Nominations can be made online at www.bccancer.bc.ca, or by calling 604.877.6216, or toll free at 1.800.663.3333, ex 6216. The deadline for nominations is October 10, 2006.
When Duff’s test from the BC Cancer Agency’s Hereditary Cancer Program came back positive for the mutation, it meant another difficult decision – to have her stomach removed to prevent cancer from occurring.
“Close to the surgery date, my nerves were frazzled, and I went into my doctor’s office and cried and cried,” Duff says. “Then he told me something that has stayed with me since, ‘The surgery won’t kill you, but the cancer will.”
Once Duff’s stomach was removed, she learned it had been the right decision – it carried cancers too small to detect through a scope, but deadly if they had spread. Her doctor went through the whole ordeal with her, from encouraging the testing, to diagnostic tests, prior to surgery, and through a long and difficult recovery.
“I really feel like he was sitting next to me in this roller coaster that I, for a while, couldn’t get off. He took all the climbs and drops with me.”
The BC Cancer Agency, a part of the Provincial Health Services Authority, is committed to reducing the incidence of cancer, reducing the mortality from cancer, and improving the quality of life of those living with cancer. It provides a comprehensive cancer control program for the people of British Columbia by working with community partners to deliver a range of oncology services, including prevention, early detection, diagnosis and treatment, research, education, supportive care, rehabilitation and palliative care. The BC Cancer Foundation raises funds to support research and enhancements to patient care at the BC Cancer Agency.
For more information, please contact:
Jinny Wu
Communications Specialist
BC Cancer Agency
604.877.6272
Toll-free: 1.800.663.3333, ex 6272
jwu2@bccancer.bc.ca
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