Cancer survivor grateful for new cancer centre in Cape Breton
It's been four years since Lisa MacEachern-Burns got the medical news that changed her life.
"In 2017, I was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma”, the Sydney River resident recalled.
MacEachern-Burns is a busy mom. At the time of her diagnosis, her two daughters were ages four, and 11 months. She had to have chemotherapy and radiation treatments but was able to receive them at the Cape Breton Cancer Centre in Sydney, rather than travelling back and forth to Halifax.
"I needed to get up in the morning and take care of them and get them off to school and play with them after school, in order for them to stay healthy as well”, MacEachern-Burns said. “So it's not just about me. It's about everybody around me too."
On Friday, the first concrete was poured to start building a brand new cancer centre. It’s expected to help a lot more patients receive care at home.
"Today marks a momentous event”, said Dr. Elwood MacMullin, senior medical director for the Cape Breton Cancer Centre. "[The new facility will] more than double the space that is currently available at the old cancer centre."
Also Friday, there was a huge donation from some of the very people working to build the new centre. A cheque for half a million dollars was presented by members of the Cape Breton Island Building & Construction Trades Council. It’s the largest donation the group has ever made.
"For us, it was a no-brainer”, said Council President Jack Wall. “We said 'You know what? This is what it's all about. When we work on Cape Breton Island, we give back to Cape Breton Island.' And that's why we gave this donation over a five year period."
MacEachern-Burns says even though she's been lucky enough to have beaten the disease, she still goes to the cancer centre for follow-ups. She says getting treatment locally helped her both physically and mentally during her battle, and she's only too happy to know that more patients like her will be able to stay home.
"I don't think I would have had as healthy of a journey had I not been able to be here”, MacEachern-Burns said.
The new Cape Breton Cancer Centre is expected to take about two years to build, with a target opening date of late 2023 or early 2024.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
BREAKING Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 mm among weather alerts in effect for 7 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres, air quality advisories and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
A fight to protect the dignity of Michelangelo's David raises questions about freedom of expression
Michelangelo's David has been a towering figure in Italian culture since its completion in 1504. But in the current era of the quick buck, curators worry the marble statue's religious and political significance is being diminished.
Doctors visiting a Gaza hospital are stunned by the war's toll on Palestinian children
An international team of doctors visiting a hospital in central Gaza was prepared for the worst. But the gruesome impact Israel’s war against Hamas is having on Palestinian children still left them stunned.
China's latest EV is a 'connected' car from smart phone and electronics maker Xiaomi
Xiaomi, a well-known maker of smart consumer electronics in China, is joining the country's booming but crowded market for electric cars.