Patient and caregiver voices from across British Columbia.
These short digital stories share the lived experiences of people who have received cancer care within BC Cancer. Each story represents one person’s experience and does not reflect all cancer journeys.
Created through a guided digital storytelling process, these stories offer honest reflections on care experiences, challenges, moments of connection, and what truly matters to patients and families. Storytellers chose what to share and how to share it, in their own words and voices.
Together, these stories remind us that cancer care is not just clinical. It is deeply human.
Directly hearing the experience of patients and families strengthens understanding of their lived experiences, builds compassion and fosters meaningful connection.
By sharing these stories, BC Cancer aims to:
- Honour the voices and experiences of patients and caregivers
- Promote people- and family-centred care
- Support greater awareness, empathy and reflection
- Encourage learning, dialogue and reflection across the health system
These videos were created through a series of digital storytelling workshops led by Krystle Schofield, digital storytelling facilitator, and BC Cancer’s Patient & Family Partnerships and Experience team.
Storytellers were supported to reflect on their experiences, craft their stories, and share them in their own words and voices. Storytellers chose what to include, how their story would be shared and provided informed consent for public viewing.
The collection premiered at the
BC Cancer Summit in 2025 and continues to be shared thoughtfully to support learning and connection.
These stories may include reflections on diagnosis, treatment, loss, healing and hope. Viewers may experience strong emotions.
You are encouraged to watch at your own pace and take breaks as needed.
If you or someone you love is affected by cancer and needs support, please visit the BC Cancer
Supportive Care web page.
The videos below are approximately three to four minutes long. Some stories may include emotionally sensitive topics.
We invite you to watch with care, openness and respect.
Themes: Dual perspective - Physician as patient, Lived experience, Cancer journey, Navigating uncertainty
Description: In this video, Chris reflects on his cancer journey through the unique lens of both physician and patient. He approaches his diagnosis with curiosity and openness, describing uncertainty as moving through a dense forest. At times, light breaks through, offering direction and reassurance, even as the shadows remain part of the journey. Chris shares how support services and the steady presence of his family became vital guides, helping him navigate the most challenging moments with hope and resilience. Chris asks that the health system supports patients throughout their illness journey, including providing information for shared decision-making.
Themes: Screening, dismissed concerns, young adult thriver, motherhood, hope, peer support, importance of patient voices, patients as partners, advocacy, patient–provider communication, shared decision-making, respectful care
Description: In this video, Natalie, a young adult shares her journey from having her health concerns dismissed to becoming a cancer thriver. She reflects on the fear and uncertainty she faced particularly around fertility and the possibility of becoming a parent and how being truly heard by healthcare providers—who talked 'with' her rather than 'at' her—along with peer support and advocacy, helped her navigate those challenges. Her story is one of hope, resilience, and the powerful impact of patient as 'partners' in shaping their care.
Themes: Young adult thriver, late diagnosis, clinical trial participation, parenthood, fertility, COVID-19 impact, peer support, advocacy, hope, collaboration, resilience
Description: In this video, Jessica, a young adult who finds joy in marathons, clean eating, and connecting with nature, shares her journey after a late cancer diagnosis. She reflects on the challenges she faced with parenthood and fertility before cancer, and how participating in a clinical trial during the COVID-19 pandemic became a source of resilience and a glimmer of hope. Through advocacy, peer support, and close collaboration with her healthcare team, she rebuilt trust in her care and regained confidence. Her story highlights the importance of compassionate listening, partnership, and hope in helping patients move forward.
Themes: Trans and gender-diverse care, young adult cancer, psychological safety, family rejection, lack of social support, experiences of discrimination in healthcare, compassionate care from hospital staff, feeling seen, respected, and validated, self-advocacy, resilience
Description: In this video, Jack, a young trans adult, shares their story of navigating a world that didn’t always understand them. Facing family rejection, limited social support, and discrimination within the care system, they describe the isolation and uncertainty that left them feeling adrift. Along the way, moments of affirming care from compassionate hospital staff became anchors, helping them feel truly seen, respected, and validated. Through self-advocacy, peer support, and the courage to speak up, Jack found resilience and hope. Their story reveals the quiet but transformative power of affirming, patient-centered care, offering a pathway to reclaim their voice, embrace their identity, and navigate care with strength and courage.
Themes: International student, family support, better together, community, strength through vulnerability
Description: In this video, Mae, an international student, shares their experience after receiving a cancer diagnosis far from home. Confronting fear, uncertainty, and isolation, she reflects on how the support of family and the communities she built became lifelines, highlighting the power of connection and strength through vulnerability. Through shared experiences and leaning on her support systems, Mae discovered that connection and support can transform fear and isolation into resilience and hope.
Themes: Life beyond cancer, young adult, cancer thriver, kindness during treatment, navigating uncertainty, resilience, advocacy, community
Description: In this video, Janice, a young adult, shares her experience of life beyond an initial cancer diagnosis and the unexpected challenges of facing subsequent diagnoses. She reflects on how patients are often unprepared to navigate life after cancer. Janice describes how moments of kindness during care, along with advocacy, community, and connection, became steady sources of support. Her story shows how, with the right guidance, patients can build the resilience needed to feel confident in their evolution, transforming challenges into growth, and emerging stronger on the other side.
Acknowledgements and respectful use of these stories
We thank the patient partners who generously shared their stories. Their courage and openness make this collection possible.
These stories are shared with permission and trust. They are intended for viewing on this website.
Please do not download, copy or reuse the videos without permission from BC Cancer.
