Alberta Cancer Foundation

03/13/2024

🚨 Attention, followers! 🚨

We need your help! In just one week, we'll be saying goodbye to this page. But fear not, because we're not going anywhere! If you want to stay in the loop and continue supporting the Alberta Cancer Foundation, make sure to follow us on our new page, The Alberta Cancer Foundation before March 20th.

Your continued support means the world to us, and we can't wait to embark on this new journey with you.

02/23/2024

"My journey with cancer, of course, started unexpectedly."

Edmontonian Arthur Mathias is a marine biologist, a visual artist and father of two. He was only 36 when he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in May 2023. Describing his cancer journey, Arthur reflects, "It’s been a journey of adjustments. A lot of my habits changed. I had to stop recreational activities I used to do, I had to stop work and reassess a hand full of priorities, and activities I had planned for my future and my kids’ future.”

During treatment at the Cross Cancer Institute, Arthur witnessed firsthand the impact of donations on cancer patients. From supporting clinical trials to providing chemo patients with warm blankets and recliners, donors who give to the Alberta Cancer Foundation, reach all cancer patients and cancer centers in the province. "What I used to see in commercials during the Oilers’ hockey games, I was now on the other side, experiencing the support and care that comes from folks who give," says Arthur.

Inspired to make a difference, Arthur decided to fundraise for the Foundation, emphasizing, "As a scientist myself, I know the importance of research to generate reliable data and information. If we all do our part, we can make a big difference. I believe that if you help someone who is in the same situation as you, you are also helping yourself."

In December, he raised $5,000. Taking advantage of our year-end match, this translated into a remarkable $15,000. Expressing his gratitude, Arthur says, "I can't thank all those who supported my fundraiser enough. Donations poured in from around the world, leaving me truly surprised. And I'm so grateful to Basecamp Resorts and the anonymous donor who were able to triple my donation. From the bottom of my heart, thank you."

- Arthur Mathais

02/21/2024

Kirstie Suderman has always been active. For years, she used cross-country skiing, hiking and biking to combat stress and connect with family and friends. This love of movement led to her earning a kinesiology undergraduate degree in 2011 from the University of Alberta (U of A), and, in 2012, she was accepted into the Master of Physical Therapy program at the U of A. ⁠
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But then, life took a turn. ⁠
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Suderman was training for a triathlon when she developed a deep vein thrombosis in her left leg. She had to undergo two years of rehabilitation to restore nerve function and re-learn to walk. But this challenging experience inspired her to advocate for the needs of patients. ⁠
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Today, Suderman is a physical therapist and researcher in cancer exercise and rehab. Through her research, she has explored the benefits of exercise in cancer recovery and the barriers patients face when it comes to participating in exercise. ⁠
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Learn more about her journey: https://albertacancer.ca/leap-magazine/bright-mind-dr-kirstie-suderman/
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02/16/2024

Our new page has been sharing an incredible story this month about the impact your donor dollars make! Make sure to give us a follow and like our new page at The Alberta Cancer Foundation! See you there!

Your support. Their lifeline.

Deirdra's world shifted when her beloved husband, Michael, faced a daunting cancer diagnosis.

When Michael's treatment required him to be at Foothills Hospital in Calgary for seven months, Deirdra felt the weight of their distance and growing financial stress each day.

With Deirdra living two hours away in Duchess, Alberta, and with medical expenses mounting, their worries deepened. That's when they turned to our Patient Financial Assistance Program.

Thanks to donors like you, Deirdra could make the two-hour travel to be by Michael's side when he needed it most.

You can make this possible for more Albertans facing cancer. Donate today and watch your impact double, with all contributions matched up to $200,000 until February 29th.

Donate today: https://www.albertacancer.ca/more-moments-sm/

02/08/2024

Follow our new page at The Alberta Cancer Foundation to ensure you're getting the latest updates on your impact in cancer research, treatment and care in Alberta!🔔

Game-changing news alert!📢 Yesterday, we unveiled the first recipients of the Alberta Cancer Foundation’s Game Changer Fund!

Launched in May of 2023 as part of our We Cross Cancer campaign, our Game Changer Fund is fostering collaboration between researchers and frontline clinicians. Through this project, we're propelling breakthrough innovations that defy the bounds of conventional funding and will impact the cancer system for generations to come.

Thanks to incredible donors like you, we secured a remarkable $5 million investment dedicated to fueling groundbreaking research. Four Edmonton-based research teams are set to receive up to $1.25 million each to take their research to the next level!

All women-lead (coincidentally), these teams are all completely diverse in their stage of career, projects and the type of cancer being researched, adding to a unique perspective and outside-the-box approach to problem-solving.

Meet the Game Changers!

Dr. Vickie Baracos - This Game Changer team will advance our understanding of the effects and impacts of cachexia – seeking to use novel and innovative imaging, pharmacokinetic and data driven approaches to customize treatment for better outcomes.

Dr. Roseline Godbout - This Game Changer team will bring together a diverse team of researchers and clinicians dedicated to finding novel approaches to tackling metastatic prostate cancer – ultimately seeking a better way of diagnosing and treating the disease.

Dr. Ing Swie Goping – This Game Changer team will establish a multi-dimensional platform for matched breast cancer tumors and avatars of these tumors called organoids. The tumors and organoids will be deeply analyzed by her team to begin to predict whether a patient will respond to a particular treatment.

Dr. Kristi Baker – This Game Changer team will bring a multiplex imaging platform to the University of Alberta. This instrument will allow her team to examine patient samples from early and late-stage cancers to identify the differences in the tumor immune response.

Plans are underway to expand the Game Changer Fund to other parts of the province. Make sure to stay tuned for more exciting updates!

02/03/2024

Make sure to follow our NEW page at The Alberta Cancer Foundation for your chance to DOUBLE your impact this !

See you there!

📆 SAVE THE DATE! On February 4, World Cancer Day, join us in supporting our Patient Financial Assistance Program, helping provide financial relief for eligible Albertans facing cancer.
Because cancer doesn't care if patients can't make ends meet. But we do.

You will have the opportunity to DOUBLE your impact thanks to an anonymous donor matching all donations up to $200,000 until February 29!

Join us as we share a heartwarming story about the impact of the Patient Financial Assistance Program on the life of a local man facing cancer.

See you then!

01/25/2024

📢EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT!

We're thrilled to share that we're making a big move to our new page at The Alberta Cancer Foundation!

Join the new community with us by hitting the 'Like' and 'Follow' button on our brand-new page.

Don't forget to let your friends and family know to join us on the new page as well! Together, we will continue to create more moments for Albertans facing cancer.

01/19/2024

A tale of two survivors. An unlikely connection turned into an unbreakable bond.

Tyra Langille was only 25 when she was faced with a stage 2 oral cancer diagnosis. Tyra's advocacy for oral cancer patients in Alberta would lead her to a life-long and unexpected friendship.

"Tyra mentioned that, as she was going through her ordeal, she felt very alone, considering she knew no one in Alberta (or even Canada) that had a similar experience to share. Now she does." - Rick Campbell

Rick Campbell was diagnosed with the same cancer as Tyra when he was 19, 40 years ago. While driving to work, Rick heard Tyra over the radio talking about her cancer journey.

Rick reached out to us at the Alberta Cancer Foundation in hopes of connecting with her. Their meeting, filled with shared experiences and laughter, became a transformative moment, highlighting the resilience found in unlikely connections.

"Because of the Foundation, I have gained a new friend that understands me on a different level." - Tyra Langille

Read their full journey in our LEAP Magazine: https://myleapmagazine.ca/2023/10/18/a-tale-of-two-survivors/

01/16/2024

RESEARCH ROCKSTAR, Dr. Mona Shafey is offering hope for Alberta patients with lymphoma, leukemia and other blood cancers.

In 2007, when Dr. Mona Shafey was a first-year hematology resident in Ottawa, she watched her instructor tell a cancer patient that he was in complete remission after his treatment. The patient was so happy he bear-hugged the physician right off her feet.

It was in that moment that Shafey knew she wanted to work with cancer patients.

“Observing the patient’s reaction to that news, I said, ‘I want to be able to do that.’”

Now, Shafey is living in Calgary and doing all she can to offer hope to patients with lymphoma, leukemia and other blood cancers.

Recently, we sat down with Dr. Shafey for our LEAP Magazine and she opened up about the incredible cancer research she is conducting in Alberta, thanks to donors like you!

Read more about Dr. Shafey's work in her full feature in LEAP: https://myleapmagazine.ca/2023/10/18/research-rockstar-dr-mona-shafey/