Vancouver in-person ‘Blood Cancer Connect & Learn’
More than 100 people impacted by blood cancer registered for the event in Vancouver on Saturday, September 14th, 2024 at the Jewish Community Centre. Called “Blood Cancer Connect & Learn.” This was the third in-person community education event held by LLSC since the pandemic (and there are more coming!).
As the event’s name suggests, “Blood Cancer Connect & Learn” was also all about networking over the meal we provided. Many new connections were made between those newly diagnosed, survivors and caregivers from the Vancouver region, as well as with the healthcare experts at the event.
Dr. David Sanford, hematologist at the Leukemia/BMT Program of BC, discussed the basics of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and its treatment in BC.
Dr. Ly Vu, an assistant professor at the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of British Columbia and a scientist at the Terry Fox Laboratory, BC Cancer, discussed Innovations in research and treatments for blood cancer.
Nikki Stiver, registered social worker with the Leukemia/BMT Program of BC, presented on the topic of managing chronic side effects - fatigue and brain fog.
Janice Chabros shared her remarkable journey as a survivor of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), a diagnosis she courageously faced at the age of 36. Janice is shown in this photo with Natasha Sani, LLSC’s regional community services lead in B.C., at the event.
The audience was very involved in the Q&A sessions. Many very interesting questions were asked, giving the opportunity to our speakers to talk more about the future of blood cancer treatments, fear of recurrence, and the best way to collaborate with your medical team.
‘Inspiring to hear Janice’s story and connect with others going through a similar experience.’
‘I appreciated meeting other people and getting practical knowledge on what to expect.’
‘It was very informative and provided a lot of resources for those undergoing treatment.’
‘The talks were very validating of my own on-going experiences; Janice’s story could have easily been mine too.’
We were also happy to host our friends from Canadian Blood Services and the Canadian Cancer Society who are doing an amazing job at supporting the blood cancer community. Both organizations had tables set up at our event to promote their services and programs.
