On October 9th, the PRHC Foundation proudly hosted this year’s Peterborough’s Dragon Boat Festival gift announcement. Together, the Festival’s host team, Survivors Abreast, the Dragon Boat Festival Planning Committee, Platinum Sponsor Kawartha Credit Union, paddlers, volunteers, and supporters, presented the Foundation with a record-breaking donation of $312,025.18 – the largest single gift in the Festival’s history!
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Peterborough mom Victoria Wasson says a part of her will forever relive the day her son, Wyatt, was diagnosed with stage four neuroblastoma. Two years ago at just eight months old, Wyatt received a scan on a donor-funded CT machine at PRHC which led to the diagnosis.
Victoria shares, “On that day we were surrounded by the most compassionate and empathetic nurses and doctors. They immediately began to fight with us to save our son and to keep our family together.”
Thanks to donors, Wyatt was able to receive some of his treatment at PRHC. This allowed the Wassons to stay close to home, pick up their daughter from school, and be home to have family dinner together.
As of March 2023, Wyatt is in remission. Inspired by the expert, compassionate care he received, Victoria has launched a $5,000 fundraiser in support of pediatric cancer care expansion, one of the priorities of the PRHC Foundation’s $60 million Campaign for PRHC. The Wassons are dedicated to giving back as thanks for Wyatt’s care, and to help expand pediatric cancer care at PRHC so other children like him can receive their treatment there.
Please visit the Wassons’ personal fundraising page to learn more about Wyatt’s journey or to make a donation.
Cancer Takedown is a spirit-raiser for anyone touched by cancer. This night of song and solidarity brings attention to the mental and emotional burden of cancer and unites people through shared experience, while fundraising for cancer care at Peterborough Regional Health Centre.
The third annual event will feature performances by Kate Suhr, Melissa Payne, The Weber Brothers, Linda Kash, Megan Murphy, Kate Brioux, Denise Oucharek, and Anthony Bastianon.
Check out the highlights reel from last year’s concert…
Karma Yoga in the Park is a community-driven initiative where Bobcaygeon yoga teachers offer classes on a donation basis, with all proceeds supporting local causes and organizations. PRHC Foundation is honoured to have been chosen as beneficiary of DiscoverTree Holistic Support Services’ Lauren Bernard’s upcoming class.
All funds raised at Lauren’s Yoga in the Park class will be donated in support of cancer care at PRHC – inspired by the care she received as part of her own journey with breast cancer.
No reservations required, but please bring your own yoga mat and water. For more information or questions, please visit the DiscoverTree Holistic Support Services website.
Tastely Box has launched a sweet months-long fundraiser in support of Peterborough’s Dragon Boat Festival and in turn, cancer care at Peterborough Regional Health Centre! Owners Polly and James Laneville were inspired to host this fundraiser in honour of the care Polly’s late mother received at PRHC.
20%-40% from almost all in-store and online purchases will be donated to the PRHC Foundation. PLUS, in-store customers will be automatically entered into a raffle to win a gift basket courtesy of Modern Makers Shop. And customers who donate through the onsite Tiptap machine (pictured with Polly, above) get a free PRHC & Dragon Boat mini mix!
For more information or questions, please visit the Tastely Box website.
“I was worried. I have two young daughters; how could I not be scared for how this could alter their lives? My youngest is 5, would she even remember me?”
Meet Diana Freeman, a devoted mom, loving wife, and dedicated professional. At just 38, her world was turned upside down when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in March.
Diana shares, “Surviving cancer is not just clearing your body of the disease; it is healing the body while battling the fears and emotions that come with it. And to survive, it starts with having hope. For many, including myself, the seed of hope is first planted at Peterborough Regional Health Centre.”
Inspired by the desire to give back for the expert, compassionate care she is receiving, Diana has launched a fundraiser in support of cancer care at PRHC. She is sharing her journey through breast cancer treatment on her social media channels and personal fundraising page, to inspire others, raise awareness about breast cancer and the importance of self-assessments, and to highlight the significance of expert, compassionate cancer care close to home.
As of May 2024, just two months after her diagnosis, Diana has already raised almost $5,000 for cancer care at PRHC. The funds raised will help the Health Centre invest in new state-of-the-art equipment and technology, support earlier cancer diagnosis, and provide safer, more effective treatments for more patients.
By supporting Diana’s fundraiser, you can help PRHC continue to provide the highest quality of cancer care, close to home.
Follow Diana’s brave journey and support her mission by clicking here to stay updated and make a donation.
In the moments immediately following surgery, many breast cancer patients ask one important question: “Did you get it all?”
Dr. Brie Banks, a general surgeon at PRHC, knows how much this question means to them. It’s not just about the surgery.
“When patients ask, ‘Did you get it all?’ they’re really asking if they have permission to hope,” says Dr. Banks. “They want to know if the surgery went well and if they’re on the road to recovery.”
Breast cancer affects 12,500 women every year in Ontario, and those numbers continue to rise. Nearly all of those women will need surgery as part of their treatment—a lumpectomy being one of them.
Waiting for cancer surgery can be unbearable. Time crawls.
Patients have many worries: Is the cancer spreading? Will the surgery work? What will I look like after?
When patients arrive hours early at PRHC on the morning of their surgery, currently the first thing on the to-do list is having an eight-inch wire inserted into the breast by a radiologist, to mark the tumour.
Then, the patient waits, sitting for hours in a hospital gown with the wire protruding. It’s uncomfortable and frightening.
If the wire shifts, it complicates the surgery, making it difficult to remove all of the tumour without taking too much healthy tissue. It’s a process that adds anxiety and risk to an already difficult day.
There is a technology that can improve this aspect of breast cancer patient care and transform the experience for thousands of breast cancer patients in our region. It can make surgery easier and more precise, and reduce a patient’s worry and wait. It’s called breast seed localization technology and the PRHC Foundation is committed to funding it at PRHC.
With this new technology, a radiologist will place a tiny radioactive seed, as small as a grain of rice, instead of a wire to mark the cancer. This can be done a month before surgery and takes only 15 minutes. After placing the seed, patients can go back to their daily lives.
Then, during surgery, surgeons use a special tool to find and remove the tumour using the seed as a guide. This results in less scarring and physical change to the breast.
Beyond improving patient care, this new wireless technology will allow Dr. Banks and her colleagues to perform more lumpectomies—without the time constraints that come with wire placement on the day of surgery. With breast seed localization, doctors at PRHC can operate on three more breast cancer patients a day. More surgeries will mean more patients get the care they need, sooner.
Dr. Banks says donor support will directly shape the care she can provide, especially since the government doesn’t fund hospital equipment at PRHC. “Your donation will allow more patients to hear those comforting words, ‘We got it all,’ and give them hope.”
She became a donor herself because she’s seen the difference this technology makes in the patient experience during an already challenging time. “It offers a better option for breast cancer surgery. I want this available for my patients.”
You, too, can help shape the future of patient care at your hospital. To donate or for more information, call 705-876-5000 or click here.
Childhood cancers are on the rise and PRHC is seeing the effects. PRHC’s pediatric cancer care program supports the greater region of Peterborough City and County, City of Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland County, eastern portions of the Region of Durham, and the Haliburton Highlands. Last year there were 605 pediatric cancer patient visits to the hospital by an average of 22 patients. This represents a 35% increase over the past four years.
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PRHC provides innovative, individualized and compassionate services across the spectrum of cancer care – including screening, diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship/palliative care. The Health Centre serves a regional area of 600,000 people and the number of cancer patients doctors, nurses and staff see at PRHC has grown significantly. Last year alone, there were over 23,000 patient visits to the Cancer Clinic.
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On May 20, Trent River Stables will be hosting a fun-filled day at the barrel races in support of cancer care at Peterborough Regional Health Centre. In addition to barrel racing and polebending, there will also be vendors, a silent auction, and a canteen lunch!
Please note that the races will take place rain or shine. There is no fee for spectators, just bring your lawn chair and be ready to cheer! All ages and skill levels are welcome to compete, and you can pre-register at the email below or enter on the day of the event.
For more information or questions about the event, please contact Trent River Stables by phone at 705-931-4692 or by email.
