I first met Lissa Abayomi just over four years ago when I was hired within the same department at Canada Post. I immediately viewed her as a person to get to know as her energy and enthusiasm at the workplace was infectious. Over the past years, I have seen her dedication be rewarded by being recommended to lead several projects and be promoted.
Lissa brings her enthusiasm and sportsmanship to many extracurricular activities such as corporate softball, volleyball and always makes others feel welcome to participate.
I could hardly believe when Lissa explained to me just a few weeks ago that she had been diagnosed with a rare type (triple negative) of breast cancer. This vibrant larger than life mother of two beautiful young children, her daughter Breana, 12 and her son Camden, 6 will now be facing her greatest challenge yet.
Lissa will be undergoing an intensive schedule of chemotherapy in the upcoming summer months followed by surgery and radiation into 2020.
This means that those activities she once enjoyed will no longer bring her that stress relief.
There are many ways that we can assist Lissa’s fight and remove the day to day life stresses.
· While Canada has a wonderful health care system, some cancer fighting drug options are not covered by our government. I am hoping that with your donations, Lissa’s options for treatment will not be limited by her families’ financial situation.
· Lissa has been instructed that a strict alkaline diet will increase her chances for a successful outcome. Healthy food options can be costly.
· Transportation to hospital visits, vehicle maintenance, parking and fuel costs amount quickly.
· Assistance with day to day housekeeping
· Assistance with care for her two children
Lissa has been an inspiration to me and has both encouraged and supported me in activities such as WIN committee events. Lissa has been an active member of this Women in Network committee for the last few years. She had inspired me to get involved and encouraged me out of my comfort zone. I actually participated in a group discussion about owning your own business in front of a large crowd of Canada Post peers. There was a lot of positive feedback. I would have never even humoured being a speaker at this event if it weren't for Lissa's encouragement.
The WIN committee assists with many different fundraising initiatives and Lissa has always actively participated.
Now I want all of us to show that same encouragement through Lissa's personal health challenge.
The financial hardship that often accompanies a breast cancer diagnosis comes as a shock to many. Treatments may involve additional drug costs, therapies and/or medical devices not fully covered by provincial health plans or private health care insurance. The average length of treatment for breast cancer takes place over 38 weeks but can often last as long as a year. Employment Insurance provides benefits for only 15 weeks at a very reduced portion of salary and not everyone qualifies.
There are many different kinds of breast cancer, each with a different treatment plan. The length of time from the diagnosis to the completion of treatment varies depending on the type of breast cancer and at what stage it is diagnosed. Breast cancer diagnosed at an early stage may involve surgery (lumpectomy or mastectomy) and possibly radiation (35 treatments over six to seven weeks). A quarter of women diagnosed with a particularly aggressive form of breast cancer will receive regular injections of Herceptin for approximately 11 months after active treatment to reduce the chance of recurrence. Treatments for later stage or aggressive forms of breast cancer may involve chemotherapy before surgery, followed by more chemotherapy and radiation after surgery and many months of traveling to and from the hospital for treatment.
Some women who have had a mastectomy, after many months of treatment, may undergo additional surgery for breast reconstruction and genetic testing for prevention.
I wanted to provide a couple of Canadian stories that are available online that describe what a cancer patient may encounter.
Daniela, 45
Mother and sole provider to a wonderful teenaged daughter, Daniela discovered a lump in her right breast. She was 42. After screening, biopsies and a partial mastectomy, it was determined that Daniela had a highly aggressive and uncommon form of breast cancer that accounts for only 10 – 15% of all cases. Treatment and recovery took a full year. Due to lost wages, the cost of travel, parking and a special diet for complications due to treatment, Daniela found that even receiving short term disability benefits through her job could not help her properly provide for herself and her daughter. She found herself using the local food bank a few times. “As a result of these realities, it cost me over $25,000 to have cancer and 2 years after treatment, I am still paying off the debt."
Kathy, 50
Wife, and mother of 2 grown boys. Kathy describes her breast cancer story beginning at five years of age when she remembers vividly that her maternal grandmother was diagnosed; and later so would 4 of her great aunts. Eventually an aunt and three cousins were diagnosed with breast cancer. In 2013, when Kathy felt a lump, her first thoughts turned to breast cancer, given her family history. When a lumpectomy didn't provide clear margins, Kathy opted to have a mastectomy and is planning on reconstructive surgery. "I have found it emotionally, physically and financially draining. There were many "extra" costs I never even dreamed of. Although, my family has never been well-off, I could not afford to get breast cancer. Donations removed some of the financial pressure and helped me pay for the wound dressings, the prosthetic breasts and helped with the cost of gas for travelling to the cancer clinic and the parking expense. I can't thank them enough."
Thank you for reading Lissa's Story and I am hoping you can help.
Lissa brings her enthusiasm and sportsmanship to many extracurricular activities such as corporate softball, volleyball and always makes others feel welcome to participate.
I could hardly believe when Lissa explained to me just a few weeks ago that she had been diagnosed with a rare type (triple negative) of breast cancer. This vibrant larger than life mother of two beautiful young children, her daughter Breana, 12 and her son Camden, 6 will now be facing her greatest challenge yet.
Lissa will be undergoing an intensive schedule of chemotherapy in the upcoming summer months followed by surgery and radiation into 2020.
This means that those activities she once enjoyed will no longer bring her that stress relief.
There are many ways that we can assist Lissa’s fight and remove the day to day life stresses.
· While Canada has a wonderful health care system, some cancer fighting drug options are not covered by our government. I am hoping that with your donations, Lissa’s options for treatment will not be limited by her families’ financial situation.
· Lissa has been instructed that a strict alkaline diet will increase her chances for a successful outcome. Healthy food options can be costly.
· Transportation to hospital visits, vehicle maintenance, parking and fuel costs amount quickly.
· Assistance with day to day housekeeping
· Assistance with care for her two children
Lissa has been an inspiration to me and has both encouraged and supported me in activities such as WIN committee events. Lissa has been an active member of this Women in Network committee for the last few years. She had inspired me to get involved and encouraged me out of my comfort zone. I actually participated in a group discussion about owning your own business in front of a large crowd of Canada Post peers. There was a lot of positive feedback. I would have never even humoured being a speaker at this event if it weren't for Lissa's encouragement.
The WIN committee assists with many different fundraising initiatives and Lissa has always actively participated.
Now I want all of us to show that same encouragement through Lissa's personal health challenge.
The financial hardship that often accompanies a breast cancer diagnosis comes as a shock to many. Treatments may involve additional drug costs, therapies and/or medical devices not fully covered by provincial health plans or private health care insurance. The average length of treatment for breast cancer takes place over 38 weeks but can often last as long as a year. Employment Insurance provides benefits for only 15 weeks at a very reduced portion of salary and not everyone qualifies.
There are many different kinds of breast cancer, each with a different treatment plan. The length of time from the diagnosis to the completion of treatment varies depending on the type of breast cancer and at what stage it is diagnosed. Breast cancer diagnosed at an early stage may involve surgery (lumpectomy or mastectomy) and possibly radiation (35 treatments over six to seven weeks). A quarter of women diagnosed with a particularly aggressive form of breast cancer will receive regular injections of Herceptin for approximately 11 months after active treatment to reduce the chance of recurrence. Treatments for later stage or aggressive forms of breast cancer may involve chemotherapy before surgery, followed by more chemotherapy and radiation after surgery and many months of traveling to and from the hospital for treatment.
Some women who have had a mastectomy, after many months of treatment, may undergo additional surgery for breast reconstruction and genetic testing for prevention.
I wanted to provide a couple of Canadian stories that are available online that describe what a cancer patient may encounter.
Daniela, 45
Mother and sole provider to a wonderful teenaged daughter, Daniela discovered a lump in her right breast. She was 42. After screening, biopsies and a partial mastectomy, it was determined that Daniela had a highly aggressive and uncommon form of breast cancer that accounts for only 10 – 15% of all cases. Treatment and recovery took a full year. Due to lost wages, the cost of travel, parking and a special diet for complications due to treatment, Daniela found that even receiving short term disability benefits through her job could not help her properly provide for herself and her daughter. She found herself using the local food bank a few times. “As a result of these realities, it cost me over $25,000 to have cancer and 2 years after treatment, I am still paying off the debt."
Kathy, 50
Wife, and mother of 2 grown boys. Kathy describes her breast cancer story beginning at five years of age when she remembers vividly that her maternal grandmother was diagnosed; and later so would 4 of her great aunts. Eventually an aunt and three cousins were diagnosed with breast cancer. In 2013, when Kathy felt a lump, her first thoughts turned to breast cancer, given her family history. When a lumpectomy didn't provide clear margins, Kathy opted to have a mastectomy and is planning on reconstructive surgery. "I have found it emotionally, physically and financially draining. There were many "extra" costs I never even dreamed of. Although, my family has never been well-off, I could not afford to get breast cancer. Donations removed some of the financial pressure and helped me pay for the wound dressings, the prosthetic breasts and helped with the cost of gas for travelling to the cancer clinic and the parking expense. I can't thank them enough."
Thank you for reading Lissa's Story and I am hoping you can help.