Bill and Elizabeth were sitting at the table together, celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary when they received a call that would change their lives.
The mole that Elizabeth had biopsied was confirmed as melanoma. She was scheduled for surgery the next day. “It was a shocking thing to hear and we were both really concerned,” said Elizabeth.
Elizabeth had a hand-sized portion of her leg removed, and began a road towards recovery.
But just three years later, Bill’s appendix burst, only to reveal he too had cancer. Worried about his prognosis, Dr. Shaqil Kassam at the Stronach Regional Cancer Centre put Bill on a six-month regimen of chemotherapy, after his appendectomy.
“He’s the best doctor we could have had for something like this,” said Bill.
As Bill’s treatment ended, Elizabeth found herself in the ER with cardiac concerns. But a CT scan found nodules in her lungs, and in a follow-up meeting for Bill with Dr. Kassam, they confirmed through a biopsy Elizabeth had stage four lung cancer as a result of her melanoma. Despite these ongoing and overlapping diagnoses, Bill and Elizabeth weren’t worried.
“They’re giving you bad news, but you know it’s going to be ok.” Their confidence in the comprehensive and incredible care they have both received at Stronach Regional Cancer Centre helped to put their minds at ease.
Since her second diagnosis, Elizabeth continues to receive routine care at Southlake to monitor her health, while Bill is coming up to five years of being cancer free. Throughout it all, they have received compassionate care and have made meaningful bonds with the nurses, technicians, and physicians who have cared for them both. For Bill and Elizabeth, Southlake is the only place to be.
“We wouldn’t want to go anywhere else,” says Bill. “Everybody is here to make you comfortable and they do. I’m confident this is the best place you can go if you are faced with a cancer diagnosis like we both have been.”
Through exceptional care and support from staff at Southlake, Bill and Elizabeth have been able to live their lives without the worry and burden travelling downtown for tests or treatment. They travel, make plans with their three grandchildren (with another on the way), and are building a home to grow old in, together. Thanks to their team at Southlake, they have the information and treatment they need to move forward with their lives.
Join us in supporting Bill, Elizabeth, and the thousands of others who receive treatment at the Stronach Regional Cancer Centre by donating to our HERE is Where Cancer Meets its Match Campaign.
Visit www.southlake.ca/here for more information.
