When Kitty retired from a long and fulfilling career in medical research in June 2020, she was looking forward to spending time with her family, friends – especially her soon-to-be-born grandson. She began this new chapter of her life with an extended summer holiday at the family cottage in Rondeau Provincial Park. Despite the sudden abundance of rest and relaxation those first months of retirement, Kitty was exhausted. She experienced a fatigue she couldn’t seem to shake.
At first, she thought the exhaustion was just part of adjusting to retirement after a busy career. But then she noticed an increasing number of small but growing lumps under her skin on in many areas of body. She called her family doctor, who ordered a series of tests and biopsies. Post results, she was seen at the Juravinski Cancer Centre extremely quickly.
By October, Kitty was staring down a diagnosis of stage four malignant melanoma, leaving her and her family devastated. Her first grandson was soon to be born but meeting him was far from assured.
Melanoma, a form of skin cancer, often starts with suspicious spots on the skin. In Kitty’s case, however, the primary tumor was never found. The cancer had spread inside her body, with tumors even reaching her brain. From the moment she arrived at Juravinski Hospital and Cancer Centre, everything moved very quickly. She saw a surgeon and an oncologist. Her oncologist, Dr. McWhirter immediately started her on immunotherapy.
“I was assured by my oncologist Dr. McWhirter and surgeon Dr. Heller that immunotherapy has worked very well in a lot of people,” says Kitty. “For the stage of melanoma that I had, there really was no other option. I wanted and needed to start treatment immediately!”
Immunotherapy is a groundbreaking treatment that uses the body’s immune system to fight cancer. For patients like Kitty, this treatment, made possible by donor-supported research and clinical trials, can mean the difference between life and death.
In addition to immunotherapy, Kitty met with Dr. Greenspoon who oversaw her Cyberknife® treatment to treat two small lesions in her brain. The Cyberknife® offers an advanced form of targeted radiation therapy that delivers high doses of radiation with extreme precision. There are only three Cyberknife® units in all of Canada, and, once again thanks to donor generosity, one of them is at Juravinski Hospital and Cancer Centre.
Thanks to the cutting-edge treatments she received, Kitty has been able to watch her grandson grow, something she wasn’t sure would be possible after her diagnosis. “Here I am, almost four and a half years later, and I never thought I’d still be here,” she reflects. “The expertise care and treatment that was provided to me by my oncologists and their team, has given me time for which I am forever grateful.”
Today, as Kitty continues her journey, she remains an advocate for prevention and early detection of melanoma. She’s also quick to share the importance of donor support.
“I am alive today due to all the previous research that was done before my diagnosis as well as the state-of-the-art equipment in place at that time,” she says, adding that, while you might not need these innovations today, supporting their development and implementation could be what saves your life down the road.
“Donations allow continuation of research, purchasing of new equipment and funding for patient and families programs. Donations enable cancer centres like the Juravinski to provide care that can save, prolong and improve lives. This is so vitally important.”
Your gift to support Juravinski Hospital and Cancer Centre helps ensure that patients like Kitty continue to have access to advanced care, innovative treatments and more time to create cherished memories with their loved ones. Donate today and make a difference in the lives of patients in your community.