A Life Saved, Thanks to Cancer Care Close to Home

On a September day in 2022, I met my patient, Mike, for the first time. 

I had some hard news to share with Mike and I didn’t know how he was going to take it. It’s not easy to hear you have stage 4 colorectal cancer that has spread to your liver. 

But, Mike accepted the news with a positive attitude and optimistic outlook. “I’m going to fight this,” he told me. “What do we need to do to help me survive?”  

Mike didn’t realize it but our efforts to help him survive cancer had already begun. Here at Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital (OTMH), we’d already completed all his imaging and discussed his case as a team at our weekly tumour board meeting. By the time Mike came to see me, we had a treatment plan aimed at curing his cancer. 

I immediately felt reassured and in capable hands,” Mike says. “My team’s straightforward explanation of my treatment plan provided optimism for a positive outcome.

The first step was surgery. Thankfully, I was able to successfully remove the tumour from Mike’s colon. This was followed by a second surgery where my colleague removed the lesions that had spread to his liver. Finally, Mike had 12 rounds of chemotherapy at OTMH. 

“My cancer journey has been a rollercoaster of disbelief, gratitude, hope, comfort, kindness, dignity, and the path toward acceptance,” Mike says. 

Perhaps you know someone like Mike, who received lifesaving cancer care at OTMH. It wouldn’t surprise me. After all, the number of visits to our Cancer Care Clinic has increased by 77% between 2019 and 2021. More people are turning to us than ever before. 

As a colorectal surgeon who has treated hundreds of cancer patients, I know just how much that means. Treatment for rectal cancer patients can take a year. Imagine if you had to travel to Toronto for all your chemotherapy treatments and other appointments. 

Your generosity will help ensure our cancer care program can continue to grow alongside our region – one of the fastest growing communities in Ontario. It will keep OTMH on the cutting-edge and give more patients like Mike access to world-class care close to home. 

“I consider myself fortunate to have received care at OTMH. Its proximity to my home and the accessible cancer clinic eased the burden of frequent visits,” says Mike. “The private chemo rooms allowed my wife and I to find solace together during treatments.” 

Expanding our cancer care program and outfitting an additional 6 chemotherapy treatment areas also serves another purpose. It helps to reduce patient wait times. We want our patients – your loved ones – to get the lifesaving care they need as quickly as possible. 

“I believe everyone deserves access to the same level of care and compassion I experienced at OTMH,” Mike says. “And, I’m thankful for the role it continues to play in my life.” 

In turn, I’m thankful for supporters like you. We couldn’t do our jobs to the best of our ability without the equipment and technology you help to fund.  

Please send your generous holiday gift today. With you leading the way, we can continue our important work to meet the unique needs of our patients. We can keep the best cancer care right here in our community.  

Sincerely,

Dr. Sandra de Montbrun
Colorectal Surgeon
Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital