“By giving to the Alberta Cancer Foundation, we know we’re making an investment in our children’s futures. And that just feels like the right thing to do.” – Jill Doiron, cancer patient and legacy donor.
I was a busy working mom of three when a breast lump stopped me in my tracks. It was stage 3C cancer: aggressive and spreading quickly.
I needed surgery, chemotherapy and radiation – but the news was grim. Even with treatment, my chances of being alive in five years were about 50 per cent.
But my care team at the Cross Cancer Institute offered promising news: I was eligible to participate in a clinical trial, studying a new way of mixing chemotherapy drugs.
The trial offered me access to cutting-edge treatment. In fact, the chemotherapy combination I got is now the best treatment for my type of cancer.
That was over 20 years ago. My husband Charlie and I have seen our children graduate from university and celebrated our daughter’s wedding.
My breast cancer returned twice, and both times I was grateful for the chance to participate again in clinical trials. There’s no doubt in my mind that I’m alive today because top doctors in Alberta are undertaking leading-edge cancer research.
That’s why we want to do everything we can to advance cancer treatment for our children’s generation.
