Kathleen Davis

My world changed in 2018 when my wife Kathleen was diagnosed with an uncommon form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma called mantle cell lymphoma (MCL). Prior to that, Kathleen was healthy, physically active and busy supporting our four teenage and young adult children’s athletic and academic achievements. Diagnosis was especially challenging and took quite some time; with Kathleen being first tested for a host of other diseases all which came back negative. By the time it was determined that Kathleen had reciprocal translocation of chromosomes 11 and 14, a common cause of MCL, her lymph nodes and spleen lit up on a scan.  There were many good doctors and nurses treating Kathleen, but we also had challenges with the healthcare system. From cancelled surgery, to wait times and issues with transferring patient charts between different healthcare professionals, advocating for my wife became my focus in addition to primary caregiver.

Today, Kathleen is in remission and doing well. Her focus continues to be on gaining strength and spending time with her family. Although the return of the disease weights on the minds of our family, we know that supporting research now could mean an advancement that produces new treatment options for MCL and other blood cancers. We are thankful for all the previously funded research and the advances made in the treatment protocol that Kathleen received, and to Dr. Mona Shafey who provided us with the most important resource, hope.  
 
We are happy to be one of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada matching donors in support of those affected by blood cancers.