Vowing not to ‘give up’
World Cancer Day a time of action and reflection
Feb. 4 is World Cancer Day, uniting everyone against a deadly disease that knows no boundaries — internationally, it killed more than eight million people in 2016.
Twenty-two-year-old Nicole Dulysh lost her mom to cancer last year — Cindy Dulysh was only 57. Five months earlier, Nicole lost her grandmother to cancer. She also lost an aunt, and a great uncle and aunt, to the horrible disease last year.
“This past year has been hell … every day is harder to live through. Each holiday and birthday is worse. I miss my mom. I miss my grandmother,” says the Mississauga, Ont., resident. Her mom had lived with lung cancer for four years — and Nicole learned about the diagnosis when she was in high school.
It was beyond traumatizing to witness her mother slowly wasting away in the living room that had been converted into a hospital room. It was a nightmare — “we barely survived. We watched her suffer immensely in her last year. She slowly lost her mobility as well as her will to live.” On Feb. 7, 2016, her mom died — and life changed forever.
For Nicole, World Cancer Day means that she is not alone — “that my pain is validated by the many others who have also lost loved ones to this disease. That hopefully one day I will no longer fear losing another loved one to cancer.”
#WorldCancerDay gives her hope, and so too does working to raise money to combat the disease. Nicole has formed Team Cindy Lou Hoo and is already busy fundraising for the annual 25-km Rexall walk taking place in September in Ontario. Fundraising $15,000 for treatments and research is one thing she can control, unlike her mom’s agonizing illness and pain.
World Cancer Day is a global initiative to end the disease and devastation. There are events being held across Canada devoted to fundraising and raising awareness. It’s a day to take action, for everyone to do their part to reduce the global burden of cancer.
“Preventing millions of unnecessary deaths and suffering from cancer is not outside of the world’s scientific or financial capabilities,” says Dr. Cary Adams of the Union for International Cancer Control, the world’s leading international cancer NGO.
“Cancer would suck a lot less if we could conquer it,” says Nicole, adding that participating in fundraisers gives those touched by cancer a purpose. “It is easy to feel useless and powerless. World Cancer Day is meant to remind people that we cannot give up. The Rexall OneWalk is the practice of not giving up.”
For Jenn Hartman, cancer has been a constant in her life for as long as she can remember: “It began when I was six, my grandmother had ovarian cancer and my memories of her are tubes and wires and Princess Margaret Hospital. She passed away in December 1975.”
Unfortunately, 10 years later, cancer paid another visit. Jenn’s mother was handed the same death sentence, ovarian cancer. “For nine years, through my teens, I watched this evil ravage a vibrant beautiful woman. It robbed me of the most important person in my life.”
Within a year of her mom’s death, Jenn, then 25 years old, received her first diagnosis — the little spot on her leg was cancer. BRCA became part of her spectrum. She had it removed and moved forward with life, but all the while waiting, not really living, “knowing it would come, just not ever being sure of when.”
In July of 2010 cancer came calling again, this time breast cancer, and at this time she was mom to an 11-year-old daughter. Chemo and radiation became part of their world. “This horrendous disease has taken 13 members of my family since I was six years old. The permanent scars that I carry have been inherited by my daughter — genetic mutation should never be part of the language of any teen.”
The 49-year-old credit manager watches and waits: “I want to see my grandkids born, I want to be part of their lives. My mother never got to see my beautiful, smart funny little girl, never got to be there for any of her accomplishments. My daughter never got to know the beautiful, sassy woman that was everything to me. I want more for my daughter — and for me!”
Four-time breast cancer survivor Carolyn Nikkanen welcomes World Cancer Day as a way to spread awareness globally and raise vital funds for life-saving research. She believes that more research needs to be done on how to prevent cancer, and treat the cause.
“The scar it has left is having only one breast and feeling like half a woman, I have no fat where my breast was removed, just bone and it constantly aches and hurts every time I wear a bra. I am reminded every day. But I am glad to be here, so I don’t like to complain — it could always be worse!” says the 60-yearold owner of Carolyn’s Model and Talent Agency.
She adds that cancer has taught her the importance of living a healthy lifestyle and not sweating the small stuff. “Worrying and stressing feeds cancer ... I don’t want cancer to come back, it is my biggest fear.”
“Hopefully one day I will no longer fear losing another loved one to cancer.” — Nicole Dulysh