A woman from Surrey, B.C., who recently finished her cancer treatment has raised thousands of dollars for a new expansion of surrey cancer center,
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Katherine Perca was just 32, newly married and excited to start a family when she was diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer in 2019.
“I started showing symptoms about four months after we got married,” Katherine told Global News.
“It took about six months until my diagnosis. Then I was thrown into a world of appointments, treatments, and surgeries.
She said it was difficult to diagnose him because colorectal cancer is not common for people his age and he had previously had a clean bill of health. Doctors originally looked at his symptoms, which include severe rectal bleeding and extreme bloating, not signs of cancer.
“After pushing and pushing, including going to the emergency room, I was finally able to see a gastroenterologist, but that appointment still took five months,” Katherine said.
“Finally, when I got my appointment, the doctor diagnosed me on the spot.”
Over the next few years, Katherine was able to follow her treatment plan. She said her scans have been clear for two years and nine months. To be officially considered in remission, patients need five years of clean scans.
Ahead of World Cancer Day on Saturday, Katherine is sharing her story to inspire others to recover and give back to the community. She also highlights the importance of quick access to life-saving medical treatments.
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She said that after her treatment, the experience opened her eyes to how busy Surrey’s chemo suite is.
After learning the importance of rapid treatment in recovering physically and mentally, Katherine and her husband, Dan, decided to take action.
“The minute you walk in the door of BC Cancer, you can really tell they care. They care about your loved one and they cared about my wife,” Katherine’s husband Dan told Global News.
“He treated her like he was his own family. It just made things more comfortable.
The couple organized a charity pub night to help raise funds to give back to the centre.
“We raised over $14,000 at the event. We were so touched by everyone’s support. It was very humbling,” she said.
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According to the BC Cancer Foundation, the funds raised will add even more chairs to the expansion facility.
“This is going to expand the existing chemotherapy suite at the BC Cancer Center in Surrey to accommodate ten new chemotherapy chairs,” said Christina Lebed, executive director of the BC Cancer Foundation Fraser Valley.
“This is important because it allows us to provide an additional 900 infusions a month.”
New BC Cancer Center It will include an oncology ambulatory care unit with room for 50 examination rooms, 54 chemotherapy treatment spaces and six linear accelerators for radiation therapy to provide care and support for people diagnosed with cancer.
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