Kara has always been healthy and active, so when she went in for a colonoscopy this past November, she was sure she had no reason for concern. “I went in for the procedure,” she remembers, “and right away that day, after my colonoscopy, the doctor who performed it told me I had cancer.”

It was the last thing that Kara, 51, expected to hear. “I was just completely shocked. Thankfully, my sister Donna was there with me. I’m such a healthy person… I had no idea!” Kara had a tumour in her rectum that she did not know about and, suddenly, everything happened very quickly. She was referred to Niagara Health surgeon Dr. Fielding and scheduled for surgery in December.

“The first surgery I needed was an ostomy (a procedure that reroutes bodily waste),” Kara explains, “because there is always a possibility that there could be a rupture with this type of tumour.” A few months later, Kara underwent a second surgery to remove the tumour and to reverse the ostomy. “It was a short period of time but a lot happened during those months. It was physically, emotionally and mentally challenging,” she says and adds that she tried to take everything in stride.

For someone who never needed to come to the hospital until that November day, everything was new to Kara and she is incredibly grateful for everyone at Niagara Health who helped get her through these last few months.

“Dr. Fielding was exceptional. When he was looking after me, it felt like I was his only patient. That’s how he made me feel. He must have had hundreds of patients but you would never know. Who knows what kind of day he was having when he walked into that room but, every time I saw him, he provided exceptional care. He cared for me and he wanted me to get healthy again.”

Although the tumour was removed, Kara is currently receiving chemotherapy treatment at the Walker Family Cancer Centre to ensure the cancer doesn’t spread. “The last few months have not been easy but I have been handling it well. Because I am a very strong person and because the treatment I received at Niagara Health has helped me immensely to get through it, accept it and heal. That is what I am doing now at the Walker Family Cancer Centre with the support of Dr. Phillips and his team. I am grateful for the exceptional care he has been giving me.”

To express her gratitude for the care she received while in the surgical unit, Kara made a donation in support of surgical services at the Marotta Family hospital in St. Catharines. From the initial CT scans, to the surgical equipment used during her procedures, the equipment involved in her treatment was made available because of the generous community of donors to the Niagara Health Foundation.

After what Kara has been through, she doesn’t take our healthcare system for granted. “My family, my friends – everyone is grateful for how I was treated and they know it’s going to be my path to full healing.” Beyond the team at Niagara Health, Kara is immensely grateful for her husband, her extended family and her friends. “They are giving me strength and motivation as I am getting healthy again.”

Kara has faced her diagnosis with courage and strength, and says that the future will be about giving back. “The volunteers, the nurses, the people delivering the food, Dr. Fielding’s team and his students, Dr. Phillip – everybody was so good to me. I’m very, very thankful. I am grateful for how everyone at Niagara Health helped me. Once I’m even healthier and hopefully cancer-free, I know in my heart that it will be my time to pay it forward and to give back like they gave to me.”