From Research to Real-Life Impact, Your Support is Giving Wayne More Tomorrows
Thanks to your commitment to cancer research, Manitobans like Wayne can access new approaches to treatment, offering patients and their families greater hope for improved outcomes.
When Wayne looks out across the land he and his wife Evelyn call home near McGregor, Manitoba, he doesn’t take a single day for granted. At nearly 77 years old, Wayne has overcome many challenges in his life. But perhaps his greatest test began in 2009.
A couple of weeks after a routine physical, Wayne received a call asking him to come back to his doctor’s office right away. Following additional blood work and a biopsy at CancerCare Manitoba, Wayne was diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer. He and Evelyn never expected to hear this life-changing news.
Wayne had surgery in March 2010, then 39 rounds of radiation treatment, followed by hormone therapy. He was left feeling drained and exhausted by the treatments, but Wayne never felt alone. Receiving care close to home at the Western Manitoba Cancer Centre in Brandon meant he was near to the comfort of familiar surroundings, and his family and friends, who carried him through.
Thankfully, following treatment, Wayne’s cancer went into remission. He continued with regular scans and follow-up appointments to closely monitor his health. During this time, he found a way to give back in gratitude for the compassionate care he had received offering peer support to other men facing a prostate cancer diagnosis, encouraging conversations about a disease many men are reluctant to discuss.
“Men often don’t like talking about prostate cancer, but it really does help to connect with someone who’s been through it,” says Wayne. “Sharing experiences reminds you that you’re not alone and that there are people who understand what you’re going through.”
Unfortunately, in 2022, more than a decade after his initial diagnosis, Wayne learned his cancer had returned. This time, it had spread to his lymph nodes and was considered stage 4. While the news was difficult, there was reason for hope. Cancer care has changed over the years since Wayne’s first diagnosis.
Thanks to advances in cancer research, made possible through your support, there were more treatment options available.
Investments in cancer research and clinical trials at CancerCare Manitoba contributed to the development of an innovative radiation treatment that Wayne was able to access when he needed it.
This newer approach required only five radiation treatments while maintaining its effectiveness, a striking contrast to the many rounds Wayne had previously endured several years prior. With the help of donors like you, Manitobans like Wayne are experiencing real progress with better treatment options and improved cancer care.
Today, Wayne is doing well. His cancer remains controlled and he is living life fully. You can find him on fishing trips in Northern Manitoba with his wife, spending time with his children and grandchildren and enjoying the outdoors.
Wayne and Evelyn recently travelled to Hungary with friends—a trip they never imagined would be possible following his diagnosis.
“If it wasn’t for the treatment, the people involved, and the support of family and friends, I wouldn’t be here,” Wayne says.
Because of generous donors like you, more Manitobans like Wayne have access to life-changing care, innovative treatments and the support that helps them keep moving forward.