Former Vancouver Canucks goalie Kirk McLean and his wife Genevieve Duford-McLean, have joined an effort to raise $35 million for cancer care and research in British Columbia. The couple, who have both been personally affected by cancer, are lending their support to the Greater Than Cancer campaign, a fundraising initiative for the VGH and UBC Hospital Foundation. Duford-McLean, who is on the campaign board, is a three-time cancer survivor who was first treated at BC Children’s Hospital when she was only 15 years old. She says improved outcomes for many patients today are thanks to advances made possible by research. “When I was younger, there was a 30-per-cent chance (of survival). Those cancers are now in the 90s,” she said. “If this was me 40 years ago, I wouldn’t be sitting here.” McLean, a Vancouver Canucks Ring of Honour member, says the campaign is deeply personal. He lost both parents to cancer, just six months apart, when they were in their 60s. “After my dad passed, he went second, I looked at my sister and said, ‘We’re orphans now,’” he recalled. His wife, who spearheaded the couple’s involvement in the campaign, says nearly every cancer patient in B.C. will interact with Vancouver General Hospital at some point during their diagnosis or treatment. “All around the province, if you have cancer, you will go through VGH, in pathology or somewhere,” she said. The former goalie says regular screening is vital, and he does it on a regular basis. “Get out there and get checked,” he said. “Don’t be the ‘He-Man.’” The Greater Than Cancer campaign aims to expand treatment capacity, advance early detection, and help patients access innovative therapies.
