You have been there for Sylvia, time and time again.
“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 donors committed to cancer research in her corner, the future looks incredibly bright. For that, Sylvia and Gord are eternally grateful.
To honour the care they have both received, Sylvia and Gord joined the More Tomorrows Legacy Circle by including CancerCare Manitoba Foundation in their will.
Click the image above to learn more about leaving a gift in your will.
