Four Albertans share what more moments mean for them following a cancer diagnosis.
By Olivia Piché
Norma Reid
More memorable moments with family
Last October, Calgary television broadcaster Norma Reid was working on a story in support of breast cancer awareness month. Not yet of an age to self-refer for a mammogram, she received a doctor’s requisition to get a screening.
While she was wearing a microphone and her camera operator was filming, she was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer. (The story hasn’t aired yet.)
“I was lucky in the sense that I was doing this story. I think, honestly, that it was God’s way — or a higher power — of putting me in front of that machine in any way, shape or form to get me there that day,” she says. “I immediately felt a lot of gratitude and relief for being there, because I would later find out that the type of cancer I have is very aggressive. So, if I would have waited even a few months longer, who knows?”
As a journalist with over two decades of experience, Reid has interviewed many people going through cancer journeys throughout her career. Now, with her personal experience, she holds a new depth of gratitude for medical advances and innovation.
“The Arthur Child is incredible. The care that you receive there and just having it all under one roof in this brand-new facility is amazing. It’s such a beautiful place to go when you’re scared,” she says.
Reid found pockets of hope throughout her cancer journey. Today, she appreciates life’s special moments and she’s excited to experience more of them.
“I look forward to waking up every day. My parents built a new cabin in Saskatchewan — that’s been a family dream for 30 years — and that is finally completed. I look forward to going there with my kids and spending the best time of our lives there,” she says. “I just look forward to simple things: a sunny day, sitting on the floor and having little car races with my kids. We put too much value on big experiences and you don’t need those things to be happy.”
Lianne Cawley
More appreciation for what really matters
In 2022, Edmonton-based graphic designer Lianne Cawley worked with the Alberta Cancer Foundation on its We Cross Cancer fundraising campaign in Edmonton through The Branded Good, the charitable arm of her graphic design business, Chapter 35. Her apparel raised funds which surpassed its $30 million goal and supports cancer care and research at the Cross Cancer Institute (Cross). Cawley’s designs read, “No one crosses cancer alone” — words that would later take a deeper meaning for her.
During this time, Cawley was experiencing severe body aches every day. A rash she had gotten while pregnant remained even after giving birth to her daughter and blood tests showed her white blood cells were dangerously low. In 2023, Cawley was in the thick of caring for two young kids and running her business when she learned she had acute promyelocytic leukemia, a rare type of blood cancer. After six weeks of daily chemotherapy, Cawley was declared in remission.
Cawley leaned on her husband and family throughout her journey, and shifted some responsibilities at work, as she continued maintenance treatment that lasted another 10 months.
Now, the importance of fundraising for cancer care was personal. When her treatment ended, Cawley reached out to the Alberta Cancer Foundation to see if she could relaunch the apparel campaign to help support others facing cancer.
“I had a very good prognosis because of my treatment, which wouldn’t be possible without clinical trials and research,” says Cawley.
Today, as someone in her early 40s who has gone through a cancer journey, Cawley has a deeper appreciation for the things that matter most in her life and has made changes to enjoy more time doing what she loves.
“I recognize that I still have so much ambition. If I’m going to still be a business owner and still have love for it, then I have to do it in a way that really fills my cup, with more meaningful work, more aligned clients,” she says. “I don’t think I sweat the small stuff as much. Having very young kids and being a business owner, it’s very easy to get stressed out. When my husband and I think we’re getting stressed out, we just stop and breathe, and remember how thankful we are to be here, to have what we have and to have healthy children.”
David Spence
More advising and volunteering
As a public figure, David Spence knew he had a responsibility to share his personal experience with prostate cancer to raise awareness. At the time of his diagnosis in 2012, Spence was CTV’s chief meteorologist in Calgary. He decided to share his story in hopes of helping others.
“Some people, such as myself, want to give back. It sounds cliché, but that desire is there. We want to do whatever we can to improve the cancer experiences for others,” says Spence.
He decided to volunteer his time and speak at various events to amplify an important message: patient voices matter. Spence personally knows how much feeling heard can make a difference. He recalls a time during his treatment when he felt empowered because of it. He was eligible for both brachytherapy and surgery, and the choice was his.
“I was allowed to make that choice for myself, and I chose brachytherapy based primarily on the side effects that come with each treatment. I felt empowered by that decision and I felt grateful that an option was given to me,” he says.
In 2018, Spence was approached by someone from Alberta Health Services who asked if he might be interested in becoming a patient advisor. This marked the beginning of his larger-scale advisory work.
Today, Spence sits on several committees for Cancer Care Alberta and Primary Care Alberta. He is also involved with research projects at the University of Calgary’s Riddell Centre and Cumming School of Medicine. Some of this work involves a co-mentorship program that pairs cancer patients and caregivers with student researchers.
Since healing from cancer, Spence says he’s grateful he’s able to use his time to work as a patient advisor.
“Patient voices matter. Patient engagement in cancer care and cancer research is increasing all the time. It makes both the care experience and the research experience much more valuable, and provides the insight to the professionals dealing with cancer that they would not otherwise have,” he says.
Leah Meier
More Enbridge Tour Alberta for Cancer milestones
On Christmas Day in 2024, Leah Meier was too weak to make it from her living room couch to the kitchen table to join her loved ones for games. Without hesitation, her family cleared the table, moved it to the living room and played cards and Rock Band for hours next to Meier.
“I wasn’t alone. They were right beside me,” she says. “Even though that was one of the darkest times of my life physically, I look back at that Christmas and remember the hilarious fun we had. That’s making the best of life’s moments.”
Meier has been intentional about making those moments count since her cancer journey began eight years ago. In 2018, she was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer, which had spread to her liver and later to her lungs. In 2023, it spread beyond her lungs and her treatment took a new course; Meier has been undergoing chemotherapy every two weeks since 2024.
The support of her family and the care from her team have given Meier some of the most special experiences of her life, like meeting her first grandchild. Her one-year-old grandson, Charlie, has “brought the most immense amount of joy into my life,” she says. “Throughout everything, you might think, ‘How can there possibly be joy in there?’ But, there is.”
Meier’s steadfast participation as a cyclist in the Enbridge Tour Alberta for Cancer — even during the years when it’s been difficult — are also moments she is grateful for. Meier has ridden in the Tour for eight years, and she anticipates that by next year, Team Leah will have raised over $1 million for the Alberta Cancer Foundation towards cancer care and research.
“I’m proud of that. I can’t believe this is my life: to have received a cancer diagnosis eight years ago, and still I look back and see so many great times,” says Meier. “It definitely isn’t always easy. But to me, life is about really embracing the moments that you get. [It’s about] putting things in place to make more of those moments happen and continue to live a full, beautiful life.”
