As told in the Foundation’s 2015/2016 Annual Donor Impact Report.
Your support has allowed Carl to spend more tomorrows with his wife Ruth, his children and friends.
In 2000 Carl began fighting the battle of his life. A routine appointment turned into the unexpected – “you have melanoma.”
Carl’s life was turned upside-down.
A husband and father of three kids was now also a cancer patient. Operations, radiations, treatments, scans and prodding, Carl went through it all for the next five years.
In 2006, Carl felt a lump in his arm and immediately a new round of testing began. A scan detected hot spots in a variety of places: his heart, neck and leg. Carl’s cancer was spreading – it was now stage IV. Carl underwent drastic immunotherapy and for the time being, his cancer was at bay.
Three years passed and then another recurrence. During his treatment his heart monitor registered an arrhythmia. That spelled the end for this treatment.
Another alternative would have to be found. And Carl’s cancer had spread further.
Carl’s oncologist knew of a clinical trial that he would be perfect for. Through CancerCare Manitoba’s donor funded clinical trial program, Carl became the first patient in the province to receive Ipilimumab, and one of less than 70 patients in all of Canada. None of this would have been possible without donors like you.
Carl’s cancer journey has been one of a million different emotions. “I lived my life in three month chunks,” says Carl. “Through this whole experience, I’ve never really thought about myself that much, I’ve always thought about my wife and kids. What could I do to make sure they were and would be okay?”
Carl responded tremendously to the treatment. A word he never expected to hear – remission – is now part of the conversation with his oncologist. He remains guarded and doesn’t want to get ahead of himself, yet his face lights up when he tells people how well he is doing.
Thanks to your support, Carl is thriving.
Carl’s wife and three children mean everything to him and he’s now getting to experience the remarkable milestones that have kept him motivated for 16 years. Carl walked his youngest daughter down the aisle, his middle daughter graduated from nursing, his son moved back to Winnipeg… and he has magnificent donors like you to thank.
With his wife Ruth by his side, his family is creating more unforgettable memories together. The clinical trials your donations have funded created a future for Carl that looks incredibly bright.
Carl’s life is full and rich. Your gift is a powerful statement of your belief in a world free of cancer.
On behalf of Carl and countless other patients and survivors in Manitoba, thank you for your commitment to finding a cure.
Learn more about supporting research at CancerCare Manitoba like the clinical trials that saved Carl’s life.
Learn more about supporting research at CancerCare Manitoba like the clinical trials that saved Carl’s life.
