Hincks taking on next challenge in cancer battle
There was a moment after Terry Hincks’ recent surgery to remove cancer in his stomach lining when he thought about not chasing the next treatment option.
“I thought about not getting it done, but I have been pushed by everybody I know about doing it,” Hincks said Thursday.
The longtime Ward 9 city councillor’s combined surgery and heated chemotherapy treatment on Feb. 18 didn’t go as planned. Surgeons in Calgary found another tumour wrapped around his groin, attached to an artery.
The inoperable tumour prevented the chemotherapy part of the procedure and is forcing Hincks, who returned to Regina last week, to look elsewhere for solutions — at a high cost that created his doubts.
“I’m sitting at home here and I’m feeling guilty that I should be out working, but when I go out, I don’t last very long,” Hincks said.
Learning that one of his options, immunotherapy treatment at the MD Anderson Cancer Center at the University of Texas in Houston, would cost between $21,000 and $100,000 was a surprise the self-described scrapper wasn’t ready to hear.
“I really depleted most of my savings trying to fight this thing for the past three years,” Hincks said.
He’s not entirely sure what his next step will be, but he knows he has to act fast, even while he’s recovering from his most recent surgery.
Hincks has already beat colon cancer and was optimistic about the success rate of the Calgary treatment. He has received chemotherapy for about 11 months out of the past year-and-a-half, wreaking havoc on his appetite and body. He lost 30 pounds and still doesn’t have much strength back in his legs.
Despite the ups and downs of battling cancer, Hincks expects to return to city council next week.
He credits the “unbelievable” support of family, friends, coworkers and the Regina community for his desire to keep going.
“To honour their commitment to me, I got to beat this. I just got to beat it for them,” Hincks said. “I’m still fighting.” A group of his friends decided to organize a cabaret to raise funds for Hincks. The cabaret will be held at the Turvey Centre on May 2. One of the organizers, Kathy Cronan, described Hincks as a big brother. She says the rapid response to the cabaret has been overwhelming.
“Terry knows so many people and I’m sure, if you know Terry and you’ve met him, he’s just that type of guy, he’s just so down-toearth. He’s so well-known in this city,” Cronan said.
The group is having a banner made for the event that will read: “Terry, Regina loves you too.”
They’re looking for prize donations for a silent auction, which can be dropped off at the Century 21 Rochdale Boulevard location. Alternatively, cash donations can be made at any Conexus Credit Union to the account of the Terry Hincks Foundation.
For tickets or more information, Cronan can be reached at 306-790-3750.