EMPOWERING PATIENTS
Lock Out Cancer campaign focuses on women
The Windsor Essex County Cancer Centre Foundation wants to lock out cancer — at least symbolically — with its new initiative to empower women fighting all types of the illness.
The Lock Out Cancer campaign launched Friday with a goal of raising awareness and financial support for local research and treatment for women, said Cancer Centre Foundation executive director Houida Kassem.
The new initiative comes on the heels of the foundation’s successful Grow On Windsor campaign for men — a local version of Movember that raises money and awareness of prostate cancer. Kassem said the foundation is selling vintage-looking padlocks for $55 and necklaces with a lock and key for $25.
“It’s real simple,” Kassem said. “What we want the community to do is to log onto our website, which is lockoutcancer.com and you can purchase a lock — it’s a padlock — and on that lock you can enscribe either your name if you’re battling cancer (or) in memory of someone as well.”
On June 3, a ceremony will be held in the healing garden at the Windsor Regional Hospital Cancer Centre and those who have purchased a lock will be able to place it on the garden’s walls. Donors of $2,500 or more will have their name placed on a donor plaque in the garden. “Collectively we empower each other,” Kassem said. “We’re going to lock out cancer together.” Mercedes Buhagiar-Baillie is one of the women who has felt the support of the cancer centre and the foundation.
At just 31 years of age, BuhagiarBaillie was diagnosed with breast cancer at the same time she was planning her wedding. A vegetarian who exercised regularly and didn’t smoke, the diagnosis came as a shock.
“We bumped up the wedding and we still had a great day but it was definitely a life-changing event,” she said.
After two years, 16 rounds of chemotherapy, a double mastectomy and immediate reconstruction, a second surgery, 25 radiation treatments and a third surgery, Buhagiar-Baillie’s cancer is in remission.
“It’s definitely exhausting,” she said. “I once kind of referred to it as horrifically terrifying but beautifully enlightening because you do start to realize what your priorities are and you start to change your life according to that.” Buhagiar-Baillie said the support she received from the cancer centre gave her strength. “The volunteers were just priceless and the nurses and the staff were just so amazing and compassionate and caring,” she said. “I was so grateful to have all of their support through all of that transition.” Money raised through the Lock Out Cancer campaign will stay in the community said Brian Schwab, who along with his wife Lisa, are sponsors of the Cancer Centre Foundation. “You can’t ignore health care and the province only supports so much so we need to go out and purchase our own equipment,” Schwab said. “(This) is a very important campaign because it supports all sorts of capital requirements and support for patients ... We’re not just talking about breast cancer or ovarian or uterine cancer — all forms of cancer that affect women.”
Kassem said the foundation has not set a fundraising goal for the Lock Out Cancer campaign. “We support the women here in our community,” she said. “I think that’s what matters most.”