02/05/2009

WICC Ontario hosted its annual breakfast at the Arcadian Court in downtown Toronto on Nov. 4., 2008. More than 400 industry professionals gathered to hear keynote speaker Erin Anderssen talk on the topic, Cancer and the Canadian Experience Stories to Educate and Inspire.

Anderssen, a senior writer for the Globe and Mail published a series in 2006, Cancer. A day in the Life. How 60 Canadians confronted cancer one day - June 15, 2006 . For five months, starting on June 15 of that year, Anderssen followed dozens of Canadians as they experienced cancer on that day, as well as those who died from it on that day."

According to Anderssen, There are 153,100 new cases a year in Canada, about 420 a day, and each day also brings an average of 193 cancer deaths, more than 70,000 a year. But those numbers hide a more complex tale, one that includes thousands of shaken families, excruciating loneliness, yearning loss and deep transformation.

Anderssens special series in The Globe and Mail looked at the disease from that vantage point choosing one day, entirely at random, to present a panoramic view of how profoundly Canadian lives are shaped by cancer.

Anderssen described to the WICC audience how she spent five months interviewing dozens of patients and families, seeking to represent the breadth of cancer's impact, from toddlers to seniors, mothers to young bachelors. Andersse conveyed how she painstakingly reconstructed each person's unique June 15, building a narrative that runs from dawn through night.

Some could celebrate, while others had grim news. Many faced tough choices, made tougher by the flaws in Canada's cancer-care system. Alongside their narratives are obituaries for more than a dozen people who lost their battles that day.

As well as their stories, the participants graciously provided all of the images of their stories personal photos, paintings and written statements.
Anderssen cautioned what you read may sadden and disturb you. It may galvanize and inspire you. It is a window into an all-too-common reality that cries out for understanding.

To read the article please visit:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20061117.wdayinthelifeintro/BNStory/cancer/home




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