For Niagara resident Dawn, a family vacation in Jamaica became the beginning of a journey she never could have imagined.

While traveling with her family, Dawn began to feel that something wasn’t quite right. She wasn’t feeling well, but she didn’t think much of it at the time.

It wasn’t until she returned home that she discovered a lump in her breast and decided to have it checked.

The lump turned out to be a cyst. But the testing also revealed a second lump in another part of her breast.

“If I had not noticed the cyst and decided to have it looked at right away, I probably would not be speaking to you today,” Dawn says.

The second lump was stage three breast cancer.

The pain of hearing those words was overwhelming.

“For two weeks, I was in a very, very dark place,” Dawn recalls. “I cried. I didn’t come out of my room. I didn’t want to talk to anybody. I have always lived an active and healthy lifestyle.
How could this have happened to me?”

For two weeks, Dawn stayed home, consumed by fear, grief and uncertainty.

Then, one morning, something changed.

“I woke up one morning and I said to myself, ‘You just wasted two weeks of your life.’”

Dawn decided she would never let herself lose another moment that way.

“I had felt my feelings — my grief, anger and sadness — and I do believe you have to let yourself go through that process. But from there, I turned it all around mentally.”

She began focusing on gratitude.

“I decided to appreciate everything and be grateful. Grateful that I had a life. Grateful for the sun shining. Grateful for my children. Grateful to have a treatment plan and a healthcare team who was going to be by my side every step of the way.”

A Team That Changed Everything

Following her diagnosis, Dawn was referred to the Walker Family Cancer Centre (WFCC), where she underwent eight rounds of chemotherapy followed by 35 rounds of radiation under the guidance of Dr. Janice Giesbrecht.

Dawn says she will never forget the way Dr. Giesbrecht and the entire WFCC team showed up for her.

“These men and women saved my life, and I have the utmost admiration for their strength.”

She saw firsthand the dedication of the healthcare professionals caring for their patients.

“They had lives of their own, families, challenges and worries. But when they worked with their patients, you would never know. They managed to leave all of that behind and be present for every patient, every day.”

“I have seen it and I have experienced it.”

But Dawn’s experience at the cancer centre also opened her eyes to something else.

She began noticing the struggles faced by other patients — people who didn’t have the same support system she did.

“I realized that not everyone has a supportive family or employer when they go through their journey. Some people are all alone. They don’t have a ride home, and some struggle to afford a taxi.”

What stood out to Dawn was the compassion shown by the staff to every person who walked through the doors.

“The staff shows each person who walks through the WFCC such respect and compassion. It says a lot about them and means so much to patients.”

Finding Strength in Community

The support Dawn received from the WFCC, along with local cancer charity Wellspring Niagara, helped carry her through some of the darkest months of her life.

“I couldn’t work. I had no hair. I felt stuck.”

“WFCC and Wellspring were an incredible source of strength and comfort. They truly saved my
life.”

Then came a day Dawn had been waiting for — her final treatment.

She rang the bell.

“I got to ring that bell,” she says with a smile.

That moment may seem small to someone who has never experienced cancer treatment. For Dawn, it represented something much bigger.

“It’s more than just ringing a bell. It’s such a big deal. It’s something I’ll never forget.”

She remembers the people gathering in the hallway, cheering her on.

“It’s such a good feeling.”

But even in that moment of celebration, Dawn was reminded of the difficult reality of cancer.

“At one point, I looked over and saw someone who may never get to ring the bell.” She pauses.

“It stops you in your tracks. It’s gut-wrenching, actually.”

Eight Years of Gratitude

Today, Dawn is eight years cancer-free.

The experience changed her forever.

She lives with a renewed appreciation for the people around her, her family and the community
she calls home.

“Going through this experience never leaves you.”

Dawn has also watched her own journey influence the people around her.

“I look at the people around me and I see that some of them have changed their lifestyle after
seeing my suffering.”

She has come to accept that her cancer journey is part of her story — and she has chosen to use
that experience to help others.

“I have accepted that this has been my path, and I try to help others in any way I can, whether it’s raising funds for local cancer care or being there for a stranger who has been affected and just needs someone to listen.”

Her experience has given her a new sense of purpose.

“I want to be there for my community the way the WFCC was there for me.”

And above all, Dawn remains grateful.

“I will always be thankful for the positive impact they had on my life.