Kathy Poirier learned very quickly that there are people in life who will catch you when you fall. One moment, she was living her normal life in Dresden, Ontario, working and spending time with her family; the next, at age 43, she was diagnosed with a rare form of head and neck cancer called adenoid cystic carcinoma.
How do I Support Cancer Care?
Receiving a cancer diagnosis is terrifying. For many, it’s the beginning of the hardest journey of their lives. Fears about your mortality become very real, as do worries about the life-changing side effects that often accompany cancer treatment. And even if the cancer is eliminated, what if it comes back?
Tab 1
Renovating the Fight Against Cancer
The cancer care facility at Victoria Hospital is becoming extremely overcrowded. The facility design – completed in the late 1980s – does not meet the demands of a modern cancer centre in terms of patient flow, capacity, accessibility, comfort and privacy.
Imagine you’re a cancer patient. You arrive at LRCP and have to deal with a congested intake area. Then you and your loved one have to search for available chairs in an overcrowded waiting room. You may have a personal discussion with your physician in an area that’s lacking in privacy. And you receive chemotherapy in a crowded space that doesn’t comfortably allow for the company of your loved one.
Through a large-scale renovation of the LRCP facility – including a new Cancer Pharmacy and Chemotherapy Unit as well as new patient reception and waiting areas – we’ll transform cancer care. You’ll arrive at LRCP and make your way through a welcoming and efficient registration area. You’ll await your appointment in a comfortable sub-waiting room, and will have personal discussions with your physician in a private area.
And you’ll receive chemotherapy in a modern and spacious environment with your loved one by your side. And you will know that you will be supported in a state-of- the-art cancer centre built upon patient-centred care and supported by the leading-edge research.
Tab 2
Patient Assistance Program
Imagine receiving a potentially life-threatening diagnosis like cancer. The situation becomes even worse if you have to worry about trying to manage the costs associated with cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Although the majority of our health care costs are paid for through the publicly funded system, there are many expenses that are not covered, including illness-related expenses such as medications, wigs, mastectomy bras, breast prostheses, nutritional beverages, transportation and parking, accommodations and child care.
The London Regional Cancer Program Patient Assistance Program helps to fill this gap by offering patients assistance through one of the following funds. Learn more about how the Program helped patients in 2018.
Although the majority of our health care costs are paid for through the publicly funded system, there are many expenses that are not covered, including illness-related expenses such as medications, wigs, mastectomy bras, breast prostheses, nutritional beverages, transportation and parking, accommodations and child care.
The London Regional Cancer Program Patient Assistance Program helps to fill this gap by offering patients assistance through one of the following funds. Learn more about how the Program helped patients in 2018.
Together, these three important funds make a notable difference in the lives of cancer patients, reducing stress and anxiety, and allowing them to focus their energy on healing.
Tab 3
Gerald C. Baines Centre
Opened in fall 2010, the Gerald C. Baines Centre for Translational Cancer Research is home to some of the brightest minds and best technology dedicated to translational cancer research.
Also known as “lab-to-bedside” or “bench-to-bedside” research, translational research bridges the gap between scientific discovery and patient care by identifying significant, current research projects and applying that knowledge to benefit patients.
Each new discovery made at the Baines Centre strengthens London’s reputation as a centre of medical excellence and helps cancer patients around the world have a better chance at fighting – and conquering – their illness.
With your help, we can ensure the sustainability and growth of the Baines Centre and ensure that our city and our Hospital remain a leading centre of translational cancer research and a source of hope and inspiration for patients and their families throughout the world. For every dollar you give to the Baines Centre, the Gerald C. Baines Foundation will match that gift. To donate online, click here.
Philanthropic support will help London Regional Cancer Program (LRCP) provide the best possible care today, improve care for tomorrow and diminish the need for care in the future.
