A program that supports breast cancer survivors has been around long enough that those who once sought its help are now passing it on. The Healing Connections program at Misericordia Community Hospital is an optional support program for patients who are recovering from surgery. A nurse consultant helps them navigate the treatment system, provides emotional support, offers connections to community resources like virtual educational programming, and leads an in-person peer support group alongside volunteers who are survivors. “I was hearing so much different advice from here and there; what to do, what not to do; what to eat, not to eat. Especially in my case because I had an estrogen-positive cancer; I needed to avoid a few foods,” recalled Vasudha Tiwari, who underwent surgery in December 2023. “Even though there are very good doctors, there are very good nurses… sometimes it’s very overwhelming to get all the information in one go.” After learning about Healing Connections while in hospital, Tiwari attended nutritional classes that helped her sort through all of the information and testimony she was being inundated with online. “That gave me peace of mind,” she told CTV News Edmonton in an interview on Monday, noting the course was offered virtually, which was helpful while she was still in treatment. Since then, she’s helped introduce the program to the local Indo-Canadian community through her work at the cultural association in Edmonton. According to Jessica Cortes, the registered nurse who has been the face of the Healing Connections program for three years now, several participants have become volunteers and help provide critical support by sharing their own experience. “That provides a supportive environment for these women that are coming to find community, find out information about future treatments, and just get support overall,” Cortes said. “The emotional support is the biggest thing. Patients are given so much medical information in the beginning. They’re scared and they’re just not ready to absorb all of that information at once. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. According to the Canadian Cancer Society, breast cancer is the most common cancer among Canadian women, excluding non-melanoma skin cancers. Statistically, 89 women in Canada receive this diagnosis every day and 15 women in Canada die from breast cancer every day. Men can also be diagnosed with breast cancer, although the incidence rate is much lower: An estimated 300 men in Canada will be diagnosed with breast cancer in 2026 and 60 will die from breast cancer. With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Dave Mitchell
