Beth Marchant
“When I started treatment, I was the youngest person in the room… Now, that’s not really the case.”
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Last year, Anna Maria of Vaughan, Ontario found a growth in her breast and proceeded to have a biopsy. She received the news that she had breast cancer; which she was NOT expecting. Dumbfounded, Anna Maria signed on the dotted line for the recommended surgery.
A close friend of Anna Maria’s who had breast cancer two years previously convinced her to get a second opinion at another hospital’s breast cancer treatment centre. Thanks to the latest research, Anna Maria was able to explore all of my options. She moved ahead with my surgery on May 25th.
Anna Maria shares; “since then, I have needed emergency surgery due to infection, and also radiation treatment. However, surprising to everyone around me – I have remained positive! I never considered myself a victim. I am a warrior. A fighter. Blessed with so much love, support, encouragement, and incredible ongoing medical care and treatment”.
Since the age of 19, Anna Maria has been a mental health patient. Despite this – she is able to look forward. “The healing process is challenging – mentally, emotionally and physically. It is exhausting not just for me but also for those around me. I remind myself that this is temporary and to focus on what is IN my control”.
Breast Cancer Canada invests donations into precision oncology research; to match the right plan, to the right person, at the right time. Anna Maria tells us that she is not the same woman she was before breast cancer. “This is a metamorphosis. I know I will come out of this ready to fly again.”
“When I started treatment, I was the youngest person in the room… Now, that’s not really the case.”
The most important thing was living every day to the fullest – and the memories.
“Progress means every woman — in every Canadian community — is seen, heard, and cared for”.
“With more research and more awareness, we can ensure fewer women are blindsided the way I was.”
Breast Cancer Canada donations fund life-saving research that directly impacts Canadian patients. That means better answers, bigger breakthroughs – and more personalized treatment for every breast cancer diagnosis.
Our suite of digital tools are each designed to help individuals better manage their breast cancer journey through education, research and personalized insights, while also elevating the patient voice.
Every breast cancer journey is unique, but together, these stories paint a powerful picture of progress. Through firsthand accounts from patients and survivors, we share stories that highlight the lived-experiences of breast cancer.
Progress happens when we invest in it. Canada is home to some of the world’s brightest minds in research. Together, we are advancing science, ensuring it leads to earlier detection, better treatments, and improved outcomes for patients across the country.
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