Furious and Fast

I’ve been researching everything to do with cancer – treatments, trials, diets, comfort … you name it – so much for the past year that I thought I’d become numb to the staggering amount of cancer data available. But Tuesday’s news from the Canadian Cancer Society stopped me cold as soon as I read the headline in the morning:

Half of all Canadians will get cancer in their lifetime, report says

I know many of you were surprised too. And it’s easy to be furious about the sobering statistics, especially because of all the funding that goes into cancer research. But it turns out that much of the increase in cancer diagnoses can be explained by our ageing population – cancer affects older Canadians most – and the survival rate is increasing.

So what does this mean?

  • Well, one of every two of you reading this will develop cancer, on average. But the chances of surviving your diagnosis is higher than it’s ever been. Lose some, win some, I guess.
  • What it also means is we need a better strategy to improve the comfort of cancer patients, and we need it quickly. And we need to accommodate a growing number of patients and caregivers.

So admittedly I found the report disheartening and depressing.

Thankfully the report came out on Tuesday — I still had the rest of the week to bounce back, and I did. The good news came fast:

  • We received a proposal from the Sunnybrook Foundation to fund a program that’s a perfect fit for The Tory Day Fund’s vision – more on that another time.
  • We confirmed an all-around great act for The Tory Day Fund Night of Nonsense in October, which gives a boost to an already stellar event.
  • IBM Canada agreed to support The Tory Day Fund via their generous charitable-giving programs.
  • We met with an awesome team from an equally awesome company, Pressly, who are providing a platform to take toryday.org to the next level – more on that another time, too!

Then, finally, I got an email from someone who’s been an invaluable advisor to me through the launch of The Tory Day Fund. We bounce ideas off each other constantly, just as you’d expect with any start-up venture. And I sometimes forget that it’s more than a venture – we’re honouring Tory’s wishes and helping others who need all the comfort we can give them during their battle with this brutal disease.

Here’s what he said, which stopped me cold once again:

“If no one has thanked you today for giving them a chance to fight back and make a difference then I shall be the first. Thank you my friend.”

Thanks and back at ya, Craig. And thanks to those of you I hear from daily, either to check in on Kate and me, to make me laugh, or to give me an update on some area of The Tory Day Fund you’re working on. It’s awesome and inspiring.

Have a great weekend.

J.

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