NEWS RELEASE
GEORGIAN BAY CANCER SUPPORT CENTRE
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Jennifer Fawcett was a mom of young children, a promising chiropractor, and a budding local entrepreneur. Everything was coming together for her after years of sacrifice and hard work. Then came the words that roughly 2.4 out of 5 Canadians will eventually hear. “It’s cancer.”
On Monday, Nov. 18, Fawcett, owner of Bayside Wellness in Collingwood, will be sharing her story during a 30-minute talk entitled ‘Navigating terminal cancer, parenthood, and a career,’ which chronicles her experience navigating the life-altering diagnosis of metastatic melanoma while trying to build her career and raise a family.
It is one of a series of inspiring and informative talks as part of some new grant-funded programming being introduced in Collingwood by the Georgian Bay Cancer Support Centre (GBCSC).
This summer, the GBCSC, which provides support and resources to cancer patients and caregivers across South Georgian Bay and North Simcoe, received an Ontario Seniors Community grant of $24,225 to launch two new programs aimed at providing valuable information and a sense of community for people impacted by cancer in the area.
Cancer Talks, which runs twice monthly features local experts, story-tellers, and other speakers discussing topics relevant to people on their cancer journey. Immediately following the talk is Soup for the Soul, a drop-in soup lunch which provides people impacted by the disease to connect over lunch with others who can relate to their experiences in a comfortable and informal setting over lunch.
Eric Walter, Executive Director of the GBCSC, acknowledges that the program is about much more than serving up soup.
“A cancer diagnosis can feel like a complete unravelling and reorganizing of every aspect of your life, and it comes without any warning, and without any instruction manual," says Walter.
"The goal of these programs is to provide an opportunity for people to come together, hear from some inspiring and informative speakers, and to connect with other people who are on a similar journey, or who have already gone through it. It’s about building a community of people who can help one another through it, and a place where ‘cancer’ isn’t such an isolating word.”
In addition to covering the costs associated with lunch, room rental, and speaker honorariums, the GBCSC has also been able to hire its first part-time staff team member in Collingwood. This, according to Walter, is a major milestone for the charity as it strives to further expand services in Collingwood.
“Our ultimate goal is to create a thriving resource in the area that becomes a source of hope for the thousands of people in the region impacted by cancer. Local support starts with great local people, so being able to have dedicated staff in the area to bring it to life is a big step forward,” says Walter.
Cancer Talks takes place at noon on the first and third Mondays of each month at the Collingwood Leisure Time Club, followed by Soup for the Soul at 12:30 p.m. Those in the community impacted by cancer are encouraged to attend either or both of the programs. There is no cost to attend.
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