Canadian Cancer Society’s Daffodil Month helps cancer patients, families

The Canadian Cancer society and a cancer survivor speak about the importance of supporting Daffodil Month.

April is Daffodil Month – the Canadian Cancer Society’s signature annual fundraiser. The yellow flower was adopted as a symbol of hope for people diagnosed with cancer and their families.

Heather Mulligan works with the Canadian Cancer Society. She said Daffodil Month started 70 years ago and bloomed into a movement across Canada.

“For people with cancer, people affected by cancer, people who care about cancer to come around the symbol of the daffodil and to support all the important ways the Canadian Cancer Society improves the experience for patients and caregivers,” Mulligan said.

Research and investments into new treatments and options to help cancer patients are an important part of the society’s work, Mulligan said, along with patient advocacy. She said they also improve the patient’s physical experience through their services.

Kyle Simpson was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2016.

“It took them seven and a half years to do surgery,” Simpson said. “Before it got bad enough.”

Simpson lived with headaches and blurred vision for a long time while his tumor was deemed inoperable. After one 19-day-long headache he said he “wanted to end it all.”

After a seizure caused him to take a bad fall, doctors decided to operate.

“Three brain surgeries over a three-year period for brain cancer,” Simpson said.

The services provided by the Canadian Cancer Society include Wheels of Hope - a volunteer transport program that helped Simpson get to and from appointments.

Mulligan said other services provide financial support to help with travel. There are also Canadian Cancer Society lodges that help patients with accommodations and other amenities. Other programs help patients with protheses and wigs and the Canadian Cancer Society hotline provides people with information.

“Cancer is beatable and it’s not easy but there are times you feel like you want to give up but just know that you can win and beat cancer with cancer centre and partners like daffodil house,” Simpson said.

Donations to the Canadian Cancer Society up to $324,000 will be matched until April 30 and monthly donations will be matched to the maximum thanks to the Estate of Anis “Ernie” Zeitoun. To donate visit the society’s website.