Exercise and Cancer
Before asking for your support, I want to share some of the events that
have brought me here today. In 1972, at the age of 3, my brother Robbie was
diagnosed with acute myleoblastic leukemia. At that time, his future was
certain – there was nothing that could be done, and he would die as a result of
the disease. Rob passed away less than a year later.
Eleven years later, when I was diagnosed with an aggressive spinal cord
tumor, although my prognosis was much better, my long-term survival was uncertain.
Today, through advances in early detection and improved treatments, over 80% of
children and 65% of adults diagnosed with cancer will overcome the disease. However,
many will continue to confront considerable health challenges throughout their
lifetimes.
Prior to my first cancer diagnosis, I was slowly losing function in my
lower extremities. At the time, it was thought that the weakness that I
was experiencing was because of several falls that I had had over the weeks
prior. It became rapidly apparent however, that the falls were merely a symptom
of something more serious. After several medical consultations, I was
finally seen and assessed by a neurosurgeon. Less than 8 hours after the
initial exam I was on the operating table. Following the surgery and the
removal of as much of the tumor as was possible, I underwent 6 weeks of
radiation therapy and several months of physiotherapy. Even though I was
still unable to walk, all I could think of was getting back to school so I
could rejoin my basketball team.
Having confronted two additional cancers (bladder and most recently, ovarian
cancer) as well as a recurrence of the spinal cord cancer, physical activity has
and continues to play a significant role in my recovery and my overall health
and well-being. My passion for advocating for physical activity and
exercise programming for individuals with cancer was borne out of personal
experiences but is backed by a wealth of scientific evidence. It is my goal to
ensure that all those living with or affected by a cancer diagnosis are
provided with access and opportunities to participate in safe, effective, and research-based
exercise programming. With this goal in mind, in partnership with the Nova
Scotia Health Cancer Care Program and QEII Foundation we have been offering
exercise programming to members of our community since 2018. Regrettably, our
grant funding is coming to an end, and we need your support to ensure that we
can keep ACCESS (Activating Cancer Communities through an Exercise Strategy)
running. Funds received from the QEII Foundation will support the retention of
a Clinical Exercise Physiologist to ensure continued access to safe and
effective exercise programs.
For every $150 raised, we can provide a 12-week, individualized, community-
or virtual home-based exercise programming to an individual living with or
affected by a cancer diagnosis. For those on active treatment and/or those with
higher medical needs, we can provide one-on-one exercise counselling at our
hospital-based dedicated cancer and exercise facility (located on the 5th
floor of the Dickson Building).
On behalf of our team, we thank you in advance for your gracious support.
