Meet Dale

“I remember the first time my husband and I went into the Northeast Cancer Centre for an appointment. I looked around at the dozens of people and was absolutely daunted. I looked at my husband and said, ‘this can’t be right’ and he turned back and said, ‘all these people are here doing the same thing you are.’ Looking back now that I’m in remission, it’s unbelievable to think that everyone in that building can be the same incredible person to that many people every day.”

Dale was diagnosed with breast cancer in November of 2015 after the discovery of a small lump at a routine doctor’s appointment. She had the lump removed the following month and began the six-week surgery recovery.

“Radiation treatment was unpleasant, but everyone around me was so pleasant and helpful that it was contagious. Even on the hardest days, the care shown by the staff made me push myself to recover – to eat, drink, and be active. You were always just as important as the person before you and the person after.”

That mindset has stuck with Dale to this day. Despite being in remission, she continues to attend appointments at the cancer centre and remains on preventative oral treatment.

In Ontario, breast cancer usually develops later in life, with over 83% of cases being diagnosed in women over the age of 50. One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime, but breast cancer has one of the highest survival rates of all cancer types in Ontario.

“People say Disney is magical? They’ve never been to the Northeast Cancer Centre.”