Most people have had cancer impact their lives directly, or know someone that has. Cancer is a devastating disease that affects relationships and families each day. Every April, the Canadian Cancer Society takes the time to recognize the people that struggle each day with cancer, the people that work hard to provide care for them and pay tribute to those we have lost.
The Canadian Cancer Society fundraises and collects donations so that their researchers can continue to fight this disease and one day develop a cure. Medical research and technology are making positive strides, as now 62 per cent of people diagnosed with cancer survive, as opposed to the 1960s where the survival rate was only one in three. Cancer research has come a long way and we are making progress, but there is much more that needs to be done.
Here in the North, we are taking steps to combat cancer and ensure that the best care possible is given to patients and their families. The Northern Cancer Control Strategy – a partnership between the Provincial Health Services Authority, the BC Cancer Society and Northern Health – is a plan created to provide services from screening, to diagnosis, to treatment for people in the North.
Rural communities require different types of support and the Northern Cancer Control Strategy has recognized and addressed these challenges.
Daffodil month is about fighting back against cancer. Where would we be without the caring doctors, nurses, and volunteers that work in our hospitals, cancer clinics and hospice facilities? These people are truly a special type of caregiver. The gentle balance of compassion, strength, empathy and respect that they provide patients on a daily basis across Canada is something every family member that has lost a loved one deeply appreciates, and something every cancer survivor will be forever grateful for.
Everyone has a story, and I encourage anyone that has ever had their life touched by cancer to donate to the Canadian or BC Cancer Societies.
Cariboo-Chilcotin MLA Donna Barnett
