Not long ago, having cancer was considered a death sentence by many. Today, 63% of Canadians survive at least five years after a cancer diagnosis — a number that’s improving every year. With almost half of us expected to be diagnosed with cancer in our lifetime, more and more of us are living with cancer.*
Dale Boidman of Montreal describes herself as a “two-time breast cancer thriver.” But Dale has been both a patient and a caregiver. Her husband Nat was diagnosed with bladder cancer in 2012. They’re both survivors today, but it hasn’t been easy.
“Keeping the relationship strong, while worrying about how your partner is feeling or coping, and getting involved from the outset to make a difference is how I’ve chosen to act,” says Dale.
As an active board member of Bladder Cancer Canada (BCC), Dale has worked hard to support her husband’s cancer journey and to help others. “I strive to promote BCC’s goals of raising awareness for bladder cancer, supporting patients, and funding research,” she says. “I’ve witnessed first-hand the success that participation and fund raising can have.”
Sources
* Canadian Cancer Statistics 2019, Canadian Cancer Society
