Torey Erdman is a born and raised Calgarian, working as an Operating Room Nurse at the Rockyview General Hospital. In 2021, a CT scan revealed a ‘soccer-ball’ sized tumour in Torey’s abdomen, and she was diagnosed with a rare form of liposarcoma. Recently, Torey celebrated her one-year post-surgery anniversary and her one-year of being re-occurrence-free! Today, she shares her story with us…   Tell us about yourself… My name is Torey Erdman, and I am 37 years old. I am a registered nurse working in the Operating Room at the Rockyview General Hospital in Calgary. I love to travel, and I w ..read more

Beverley Dunn was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma in 2018. This cancer journey has taught Bev many lessons. Most of all, she learned the importance of support throughout difficult times. Today, Bev is the President of the Southern Alberta Myeloma Patient Society (SAMPS), helping to provide guidance and care for those facing this devastating blood cancer. For Multiple Myeloma Awareness Month, Bev shares her story with us…     When were you diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma? What were some of the initial symptoms you faced? May 30, 2018, was the day my life changed forever. In the Sprin ..read more

In May 2018, Harjeet Kaur came to Edmonton from India with her husband – hoping for a new career, a new life, and to start a family. Things were all right at first. “Everything was going smoothly; I was living my normal life,” Harjeet says. “But life had different plans.” Harjeet began to have fevers at the end of May 2019. When she fainted in her bathroom one day, her husband found her and took her to their general practitioner. Harjeet was told that it was just a normal viral fever, and took Tylenol to relieve it. Weeks passed, but the fever persisted – it was around 39 to 40 degrees, even r ..read more

In 2014, Carmelina had a feeling that something was not right with her health and consulted her doctor about it. Her intuition was right. Unfortunately, she was diagnosed with breast cancer that same year. Carmelina’s diagnosis left her feeling alone, but she was determined to push through with love and laughter. Through this journey, she has found her purpose by creating a business in artistry, in which she does tattoo Areola Restoration for women who have undergone mastectomies. Carmelina and her business partner, Kacie, were coined the ‘Nipple Sisters’ through their incredible work. To thi ..read more

Born and raised in Australia, Jodie Tilley moved to Canada in 1996 after falling in love with the Rocky Mountains during a ski trip. After living in Halifax for several years, Jodie has been a resident of Calgary since 2005, and has made Canada her home for more than half of her life. It would be at Calgary’s Tom Baker Cancer Centre, where Jodie would be treated for colon cancer. For the last 13 years, Jodie has been working in the medical field – 8 of those years in breast cancer reconstruction and cosmetic surgery and the last 5 in medical aesthetics. Along with her business partner, she op ..read more

Patients receiving cancer care in Calgary are another step closer to receiving that care in a world-class medical centre.   Watch the live key handover to Alberta Health Services for the new Calgary Cancer Centre: Calgary Cancer Centre delivered to AHS | alberta.ca The post Calgary Cancer Centre delivered to AHS appeared first on OWN.CANCER ..read more

Sam Kwong recently joined his first marathon as a fundraiser, in which he decided to support the Alberta Cancer Foundation. To say his efforts were successful would be an understatement. Sam ran over 21 kilometres and raised over $5,000 for Albertans facing cancer. With the Calgary Cancer Centre being an initiative he is passionate about, we wanted to learn more about his ‘why’.   Tell us about yourself… “My name is Sam Kwong and I am married to my wife, Amanda Keay, who I met in Calgary 14 years ago. We have an eighteen-month-old daughter named Chloe and she is expecting a baby brother t ..read more

GEDfest is a celebration of the impact Gordon Edgar Downie of the Tragically Hip had on Canadian culture and music. Behind the music, dancing, and good times had at this event is a purpose. For Keith, the organizer of GEDfest Calgary, the purpose is to ensure better outcomes for Alberta’s cancer patients. “It is meant to be a celebration that brings the community together under the spirit of live music and charity.” – Keith Dyck, organizer of GEDfest. Keith Dyck, organizer of GEDfest. Gordon Edgar Downie, the lead singer of the Tragically Hip, passed away from Glioblastoma brain cancer on ..read more

Krissy Chutskoff was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 37. Navigating this disease at a young age came with challenges, yet throughout her cancer journey, she found hope in her loved one’s support, leaning into feel-good activities and learning about the new Calgary Cancer Centre. Here, she shares her story… Tell us about yourself… “I’ve lived in Calgary for over fifteen years now and share a home with my husband, Chad, and our free-roam house bunny, Flirt, who makes us laugh and brings us so much joy every day. My husband and I are both originally from Saskatchewan, so we are both d ..read more

OWN.CANCER Campaign Co-Chair John Osler, left, and philanthropist Patrick Daniel unveil a plaque in honour of the Daniel Family Foundation’s gift. Photo by: Adrian Shellard, for the University of Calgary. Cancer patients and their families will benefit from a new multimillion-dollar gift through the OWN.CANCER campaign (a partnership between the University of Calgary, Alberta Health Services and Alberta Cancer Foundation) to advance Calgary’s world-leading psychosocial oncology research and care. The $5 million contribution by Calgary philanthropist Patrick Daniel and h ..read more