Deanne Lawson’s Story
"It means so much knowing there are people out there who don't even know me, but who care so much that they make donations towards equipment and research to help people like me."
On January 4, 2023 at 8:43 am, I walked into the Cancer Care Clinic at Richmond Hospital for my first chemotherapy treatment. I was scared. But I was also hopeful that this might be the beginning of a journey toward getting my health and my life back.
It was November when I had received the overwhelming news that I had stage 2 breast cancer. I was 42 years old and mother to two daughters. My husband Julius and I decided not to tell anyone about it until after Christmas… we didn’t want to cast a shadow over the holiday.
Everything changes when cancer comes into your life: your present, your future. And your need for a place and people who can help you. Because I was born in Richmond, Richmond Hospital had always been a part of my community. My family were taken care of there and my children were born there. But little did I know just how important the hospital and its people would become for me.
From the moment I entered its doors that January day, I felt relieved and uplifted by the positive atmosphere. There were welcoming smiles at every turn. I could sense the care and concern that almost seemed to float through the hallways to settle where it was needed most.
I have experienced how important it is to have a place like Richmond Hospital available when you need it most. Please consider showing your support by making a gift today so you can help ensure Richmond Hospital is there for everyone in our community.
Richmond Hospital is truly the kind of place you need when life is challenging you like it was challenging me. The staff at the Cancer Care Clinic were comforting and the volunteers there more than helpful. Their positivity and humour were a welcome distraction. But they also helped me fully understand the process, giving me the confidence to face the difficult moments and keep going. They explained the drugs and their possible side effects and what I could expect at every step. My Oncologist, Dr. Dante Wan, always checked in with me and took the time to ask after my husband as well.
After 15 weeks of chemotherapy treatment, I underwent a double mastectomy combined with reconstructive surgery. That was less than a year ago and there has been no trace of cancer since. We beat it.
Throughout my life, I was always aware of Richmond Hospital’s presence in our community. But frankly, like most people, I did not pay much attention to it.
But now more than ever, I am so aware that everyone in the community is somehow connected to Richmond Hospital. Births, accidents, sicknesses, critical illnesses… there are countless ways and stories that define the role that Richmond Hospital has in our lives. Many, probably most, with positive outcomes… like mine.
That’s why it is so important for us to show our support for the hospital and all the fantastic people who work there… so that they can be there and continue to provide their expert, compassionate level of care to the people in our lives.
Please show your support by making a gift today to Richmond Hospital Foundation. Your donation will make a big difference.
Recently, the Cancer Care Clinic at Richmond Hospital where I was treated relocated, an important step that allows for demolition required to begin construction of the new nine-floor acute care tower, the Yurkovich Family Pavilion. This new facility will provide enhanced and increased health care services for Richmond’s growing population including a new emergency department, more patient rooms with ensuites, an expanded surgical centre, and a fully equipped medical imaging centre.
That’s the kind of community commitment and care that we can all get behind. Please join me and my family in supporting this important establishment in Richmond and make a donation today.
With gratitude,
Deanne Lawson,
Breast Cancer Survivor
(and Family)
P.S. A really great way to support Richmond Hospital is by making a monthly gift. Your regular monthly donation makes a huge difference to those who need it most. Please consider a monthly gift. Thank you!
