SYDNEY, N.S. —Cape Bretoners showed their support for patient care at the Cape Breton Regional Hospital by tuning in to two local radio stations for RadioDay 2018 on Thursday.
The event ran from 6 a.m. until 6 p.m. at Cabot House, 500 Kings Rd. in Sydney. The foundation partnered with 101.9 The Giant and New Country 1035 to raise funds and awareness
The stories of individuals and families affected by cancer and have undergone treatment were featured throughout the day, with listeners hearing from people like Harland Fraser, Ellen MacKenzie and Jason Fedora, who have all battled cancer. The fundraising priority at this year’s RadioDay was cancer care in Cape Breton.
Now in its 11th year, the radio events had raised more than $6,300,000 in support of health care in Cape Breton prior to Thursday’s event. Donations allow more Cape Bretoners to get the care they need at home, near their family and friends.
Thanks to the community, $858,360.72 was raised on Thursday. From 8 a.m., MECO Construction DKI matched every donation made up to $10,000. That meant more than $43,400 was raised in that one hour through phone calls and donors visiting the station. From 4 p.m. to 5 p.m., Jim Sampson Motors matched all donations up to $10,000 and $22,900 was raised. These two power hours were able to fund more than $65,000 for the Cancer Patient Care Fund.
Leigh-Anne Cox
Cancer Survivor
After a diagnosis of bone cancer, Leigh-Anne Cox was in the biggest fight of her life.
On July 12 of last summer, Leigh-Anne was told she had a tumor in her femur. She wasn’t sure how to deal with it but she remained strong.
She was told that the tumor was cancer and that it had already spread to her lungs. She had her parents by her side, but she felt nervous and anxious.
Cancer changes everything and it can even make you lose your hair like Leigh-Anne did. That’s tough for a 12-year-old girl.
When you have cancer you may need to travel a lot. Leigh-Anne’s mom missed a lot of work so she could be by her daughter’s side.
Quick facts:
- Diagnosed with bone cancer in July, 2017.
- Has had many rounds of chemotherapy and surgery.
- Loves to be home, close to family and friends.
- Chemo caused hair loss.
- Able to walk without a brace now.
Harland Fraser
Cancer Survivor
Harland is currently nine years old in Grade 4 at Greenfield Elementary School. He was diagnosed with a brain tumor in February 2018. The cancer he had is found in only four per cent of kids who have cancer, so it’s somewhat rare, but it’s also not as hard to treat. Ninety per cent of cases are cured with a combination of treatments.
He had trouble balancing, wasn’t feeling well and got sick all the time. He couldn’t focus on things and it started to affect how he was thinking. Being able to have cancer care at home meant so much to his family. They love being home, so having cancer care so close made it much less scary during a stressful time.
Harland’s family only had to drive a short distance from home to get treatments. He was able to sleep in his own bed and wake up ready to take on the next round of treatment.
For Harland, there was no best part of cancer, but he did enjoy being in Caleb’s Courage Superhero Suite. The whole room is done in a superhero theme. It made him feel like he was at home and not at a hospital.
Quick facts:
- Brain tumor.
- Had chemotherapy at home.
- Loves Caleb’s Courage Superhero suite.
- His cancer is rare (only four per cent of children who have cancer have this).
- His cancer is treatable and he’s feeling much better now.
Ellen MacKenzie
Cancer Survivor
Everybody has that one thing in their lives that gives them strength and determination. For Ellen MacKenzie, it is her five-year-old granddaughter, Neico.
In January of this year, Ellen was diagnosed with breast cancer. She was immediately thrust into an uncertain future.
Ellen’s mother was diagnosed with breast cancer on June 14, 1996 and two years later, she was gone. In 2011 Ellen’s husband was diagnosed with colon cancer, but his prognosis was much better.
Surgery was his path to a cancer-free life, but they all knew the dangers of this horrendous disease. When Ellen discovered a lump, she was certain it was cancer and prepared herself for the worst.
Quick facts:
- Diagnosed with breast cancer in January 2018.
- Granddaughter Neico is her world.
- Friend and former cancer patient Stacey Rodgers (former Radiothon patient) was a rock for her during first weeks of diagnosis.
- Learning she needed chemotherapy was a gut punch and devastating.
- Owns Foodland in Sydney Mines.
Caleb MacArthur’s Family
Cancer Patient’s Family
On his third birthday, Caleb was diagnosed with Stage IV ‘High Risk’ Neuroblastoma, a relatively rare solid tumour cancer that developed from the nerve cells in his adrenal gland and metastasized to multiple sites in his body.
On March 24, 2015, one year after his fight began and four weeks before his fourth birthday, Caleb died.
Caleb’s Courage’s mandate is to provide support for critically ill children and their families by enhancing the services, programs, and facilities for Pediatric Palliative Care and Oncology in Cape Breton. “Helping little superheroes fighting BIG battles” is Caleb’s Courage’s mission.
To date, Caleb’s Courage has raised over $350,000 for pediatric palliative care and oncology in Cape Breton.
Quick facts:
- Caleb’s Courage raises funds for pediatric palliative oncology in Cape Breton.
- “Helping little superheroes fighting BIG battles” is Caleb’s Courage’s mission.
- Caleb was diagnosed with Stage IV ‘High Risk’ Neuroblastoma.
- Caleb has four siblings, Aubrey, Ella, and twins, Lauchlan and Emery, and his parents are Mike and Nicole MacArthur.
- To date, Caleb’s Courage has raised over $350,000 for pediatric palliative care and oncology in Cape Breton.
Jason Fedora
Cancer Survivor
Jason Fedora, 45, has spent much of his life in Alberta, but he’s a Cape Bretoner, through and through.
Jason was diagnosed in March of 2016 with throat cancer. He was living away from home at the time.
The cancer itself didn’t hurt. The treatment, however, was difficult.
In an attempt to eliminate the cancer, the radiation treatment can eat away at parts of your body. For Jason, it was his teeth. He lost a front tooth in his battle.
Jason met with Tom MacNeil, the medical social worker for the Cape Breton Cancer Centre, who told him that the people of Cape Breton donate to the ‘Cancer Patient Care Fund’ in order to help cancer patients in their time of greatest need and because of that fund, he got his smile back.
Quick facts:
- Had 35 radiation treatments and 2 mega-doses of chemotherapy.
- Lost a front tooth due to radiation treatment.
- His community gave him his smile back.
- Has turned his life completely around since diagnosis.
- Going back to school to study psychology.
