Launched in 2003, The KW Cancer Centre has offered relief and convenience to our community. Patients no longer had long wait times to get treatment. They no longer had to travel to distant cities like London, Hamilton or Toronto. Families could now be closer to their loved ones and help with the process.
This story is from one of our close family friends and what they have experienced and are struggling through. Jeff & Suzanne's eldest son, Rob who is 20yrs young was diagnosed with a Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma called "Burkitt's Lymphoma" (the fifth most aggressive cancer in the world) in late October 2011. Within three days of finding out he had cancer; Rob was admitted to Grand River Hospital and the Regional Cancer Centre. WOW... several years ago it would have taken weeks to get in somewhere no matter the urgency in beginning treatment.
The Regional Cancer Center has been a blessing as friends and family have been able to spend time at the hospital with Rob offering support and encouragement. Suzanne has been able to stay over in the hospital with her son throughout his treatments and has also been able to keep an active role with her other 3 children a few hours at a time when needed. Rob has been given a few day passes where he could come home for a ten hour visit. If Rob had to travel and stay out of town for treatments, all of this this would not have been possible. Suzanne would not have been able to help out at home and all those duties would have fallen on Jeff who runs a family business, Busy Corner Garage. The family did not have any added stress of travelling, finding a hotel close by and being separated in body and spirit. With Rob receiving treatments in town, the family has been able to be part of the treatment process and stay closer together. Treatment close to home has been a blessing to the family as a whole, since the drugs that Rob has to take after each chemotherapy round are not covered by Trillium and has cost the family over $10,000.00 to date.
New Years Eve arrived and the family was able to spend some time together at home during the day as Rob was given a pass. For a wonderful evening, plans were made and they were able to have the extended family gather with food and drinks, at the hospital, in one of the family rooms to usher in the New Year..... This would have been pretty much impossible at an out town treatment facility.
The real scare came after the New Years treatment ended with an adverse reaction to the chemo treatment causing respiratory failure. Without having the cancer centre here in town we may have been attending a funeral. With the skill of our local hospital practitioners, our young friend was able to be treated quickly, as his medical and treatment records were on site. For eight days Rob was on life support, a ventilator and induced coma, while he battled for his life. He did not have to be transferred and his family was able to be with him every step of the way... this was the saving grace.
Rob has now entered what the family hopes to be his final chemotherapy treatment. Everyone is optimistic it will be the last treatment in Rob's future. Final test results being positive, the Hickman port (direct line chest tubes to his heart) will finally be removed and life can slowly return to normal. Rob was working in the family business and saving money to attend post secondary education to be a gaming programmer at RCC (a division of York University). Certification would allow Rob a high tech job designing video games and working first hand in product development. The school checks in regularly with the family, in anticipation of Rob attending classes as soon as he's able. School was to start January 6th, 2012, and was been put on hold as Rob went through chemotherapy.
Hanging out with friends and family has been a challenge, as Rob's immune system has had the living daylights kicked out of it due to the chemotherapy. Rob could easily catch a mild flu bug or common cold which for him could be hazardous or even fatal. To keep in touch, a Facebook group was formed: "Rob Borghese, Leaving Burkitt's Lymphoma Behind". The group receives regular updates...information about different chemotherapies and drugs being used, explanations of complications and exciting news, such as when the cancer was downgraded from stage 4, to 2 and now permanently stage 1.
The family extends its gratitude and heartfelt thanks to the great staff and doctors at Grand River Cancer Centre for the support they give to their patients and their families.
Without this great local facility, this would have been a most trying time for Rob and his family not to mention the many others that have been treated for their cancer and the many more that will be treated in the future.
Please help us support a worthy cause and donate as all proceeds will go to the Grand River Cancer Centre. TNT will give each donation above $2.00 a 'beverage cozy"....tax receipts are available for larger donations.
