How many times have you heard it said “the money doesn’t stay in Kitimat” or “with all the money that’s been raised, why hasn’t a cure been found”?
There are more than 200 different kinds of cancer, so “a cure” would be very hard to find.
But there have been many research advances made because of funds raised through the Canadian Cancer Society. Today, 62 per cent of people diagnosed with cancer will survive the disease compared with 1-in-3 in the 1960s.
In 2009 the three Canadian Cancer Society lodges admitted more than 6,100 people.
CancerConnection (telephone volunteer peer support program) had 1,119 one-one-matches.
Cancer Information Service handled approximately 6,920 cancer-related inquiries. 529 clients received financial assistance for transportation and accommodation; 463 clients received financial assistance for drug coverage.
More than 74,350 client rides were offered through the Volunteer Driver Program. 276 prostheses and 3,498 wigs/headwear were distributed and 405 spots were filled at seven weeks of camp at Camp Goodtimes.
There are three Lodges in BC and soon there will be a fourth one located in Prince George. These Lodges are a great place to be able to stay while you are going through your cancer treatment – a home away from home. They are funded and maintained by the Canadian Cancer Society.
BC is the only province in Western Canada that funds a camp for kids with cancer. Camp Goodtimes is a place where these children can go for a week and just have fun.
CancerConnection is a volunteer peer support program and is a very valuable emotional life-line for someone going through cancer treatment.
You can talk to someone who has gone through what you’re going through and you can find encouragement and peace of mind.
The Cancer Information Service – 1-888-939-333 – is available to answer any questions and/or concerns you may have, and this isn’t only for cancer patients; it is available to anyone who needs information.
As well, funds raised are used for research. Basic cancer research is the cornerstone of cancer research and usually takes place in the laboratory, where scientists seek to understand the disease at its deepest levels.
Using sophisticated tools and technologies, they peer inside single cells, observing and describing complicated biochemical and genetic processes to answer our most fundamental questions about cancer:
How does the disease start?
How do tumours grow and spread to other parts of the body?
Can this growth be stopped?
Ultimately, the goal of basic cancer research is to come up with the rare, “breakthrough” discovery that will help prevent, control or even cure cancer and contribute a small but significant bit of knowledge that will help other scientists as they work on their own piece of the cancer puzzle.
For more information you can visit the Canadian Cancer Website at www.cancer.ca or phone the cancer Information Service at 1-888-939-3333.
Everyone in our community who has been on the cancer journey benefits from the funds we have raised locally.
So let’s go Kitimat. Let’s get involved once again in this year’s Relay For Life by putting in a team, joining a team, or making a donation.
For more information, contact Margaret Ferns at 250-632-2862 or by e-mail: kitimatrelay@bc.cancer.ca.