Canadian Cancer Society focuses on hope for patients with Daffodil Month
![Jennifer Jennifer Mitchell, right, is a two-time cancer survivor. (Source: Canadian Cancer Society)](/content/dam/ctvnews/en/images/2024/4/17/jennifer-1-6850806-1713371562797.jpg)
As a two-time cancer survivor, Jennifer Mitchell knows how important hope can be to the recovery process. It’s a feeling she strongly associates with the daffodil.
“The daffodil is one of the first flowers to bloom in spring,” she said. “To me it’s a sign of hope and resilience. I resonate with it. It’s a new beginning.”
The daffodil and other flowers and plants take centre stage in the spring, as the Maritimes and the rest of Canada shrug off winter and look towards warmer months as a time of renewal. It’s a feeling the Canadian Cancer Society hopes to capture this month.
Jane Parsons, executive vice president of revenue development with the Canadian Cancer Society, said the group uses the humble flower as a symbol of renewal and power for April, which is officially Daffodil Month. The annual event focuses on fundraising for cancer initiatives and informing the public about the society’s programs.
“Sixty-five years ago, Daffodil Month started as a tea party and now it’s a national movement,” Parsons said. “We focus on our legacy and our rich future.
“When CCS was founded in 1938, the cancer survival rate was 25 per cent.” (According to the Canadian Cancer Statistics 2021, the five-year net cancer survival rate was estimated to be 64 per cent for all cancers combined).
Parsons said the society is lobbying the federal government to protect cancer patients’ jobs during treatment, among other measures. On the patient level, she said they try to provide personalized help to people who need it.
“The cancer experience is personal,” Parsons said. “At times wigs and breast prostheses make people feel more confident. It’s less about the disease and more about them.
“It’s very personal. Many people who lose their hair will take a wig or turban to support them emotionally.”
One of the major programs for the society is their lodges, which provide housing for patients undergoing cancer treatment far from home. Mitchell is well acquainted with the lodges and the services the society can provide.
“My diagnosis required me to move St. John’s, N.L.,” she said. “I had to make the trek across the island and I was there for eight months.”
Mitchell now sits on the Newfoundland advisory board for the Canadian Cancer Society, bringing her perspective as a survivor to the organization.
“Cancer is a scary word, (but) these days it’s not a death sentence,” she said. “There is hope and there’s support available. You’re not alone.
“I had a lot of family around me but I felt I was alone in my diagnosis. I tell people they’re not alone. There are so many people going through similar experiences.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6972910.1721665918!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
Harris praises Biden's 'unmatched' legacy, looks to lock up the Democratic nomination
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris moved swiftly to lock up Democratic delegates behind her campaign for the White House after President Joe Biden stepped aside amid concerns from within their party that he would be unable to defeat Republican Donald Trump.
WATCH LIVE 'We failed,' says Secret Service director grilled on Trump assassination attempt
Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle said Monday that her agency failed in its mission to protect former U.S.President Donald Trump during a highly contentious congressional hearing with lawmakers of both major political parties demanding she resign over security failures that allowed a gunman to scale a roof and open fire at a campaign rally.
Hollywood reacts to Joe Biden exiting the U.S. presidential race
Hollywood was quick to react to the news that U.S. President Joe Biden was ending his bid for re-election and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris.
Prince George is 11 -- see his birthday photo
Prince George has turned 11, and as per tradition his proud parents have released an official portrait to mark the occasion.
Two-thirds of Canadians polled say they 'desperately' need interest rates to go down
A new survey says the Bank of Canada's recent interest rate cut did little to change Canadians' negative perceptions about their personal finances.
Israel orders evacuation of part of Gaza humanitarian zone as war's toll passes 39,000 Palestinians
The Israeli military ordered the evacuation Monday of part of a crowded area in the Gaza Strip it had designated a humanitarian zone, saying it is planning an operation against Hamas militants there.
Wildfire forces evacuation of B.C.'s Barkerville gold rush heritage site
Visitors have been told to avoid B.C.'s historic Barkerville gold rush town, which is among several areas in the province's Cariboo region under evacuation orders due to the massive Antler Creek wildfire.
LeBron James to be Team USA's male flag bearer for Olympic Opening Ceremony
NBA legend LeBron James has been selected as Team USA’s male flag bearer for the Opening Ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games.
The pilot who died in crash after releasing skydivers near Niagara Falls has been identified
Officials on Sunday released the name of a pilot who died in a skydiving flight after her passengers jumped from the aircraft near the Niagara Falls.