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Donna's fight against cancer

For Donna Bianchi, early screening, diagnosis, and treatment at Markham Stouffville Hospital’s Breast Health Centre is helping her fight an aggressive form of cancer.

A bear hug shows cancer patients you care this Giving Tuesday

Donna Bianchi wasn’t surprised to learn about her cancer diagnosis. With a family history of breast cancer, she had almost been expecting it. Still, she was grateful for an early diagnosis — her tumour was very deep, close to the chest wall, and would have gone undetected if it wasn’t for regular screening.

“I’ve always been high risk,” said Donna. “My mom had breast cancer early — she was 27 when she had a double mastectomy.” Her mom’s three sisters also had suspicious lumps, and Donna herself had a suspicious lump removed several years ago. Over the years, she’s also dealt with a pituitary tumour and another tumour in her stomach.

As a result, Donna underwent genetic testing and was referred to Oak Valley Health’s Markham Stouffville Hospital (MSH). Women aged 30 to 69 who are found to be at high risk for breast cancer are recommended for high risk breast cancer screening, which involves a screening mammogram and breast MRI every year.

MSH’s oncology program — which includes the Gale & Graham Wright Breast Health Centre (BHC), che­motherapy clinic, symptom management clinic, colon health services, clinical trials and radiation consultative services — was created in response to the demand from area residents who need leading-edge cancer treat­ment close to home.

Diagnosis and care

On April 17, 2024, Donna received her annual routine screening, and three days later got a call back; her medi­cal team had noticed something of concern. Initially, she wasn’t too worried; that type of thing had happened be­fore and turned out to be nothing. Her thoughts were also somewhere else: on April22, her father-in-law was diagnosed with stage 4 gall bladder cancer and her at­tention was focused on him.

In the meantime, Donna received an ultrasound and was scheduled for abreast biopsy on May 13. About a week later, her family doctor called — and at that point she knew it wasn’t good news. She was diagnosed with early stage 1,grade 3 cancer that was HER2-positive and estrogen receptor-positive(ER-positive).

“I tested positive for HER2, which was not great. And estrogen positive, which was not great,” said Donna. “That means it’s a fast-spreading cancer that they need to treat very aggressively.” HER2 is a type of protein that spurs breast cancer cells to grow more quickly.

Next, Donna met with surgeon Dr. Simon Yang at MSH, who explained what would happen next. On June 4, less than two months after her routine screening, she underwent a partial mastectomy and surgery to remove four lymph nodes. Her oncologist, Dr. Leena Hajra, de­signed a treatment plan that includedHER2-targeted therapy every three weeks for one year, 12 rounds of chemotherapy and 20 rounds of radiation.

Everyone knows your name, there are volunteers who will bring you a blanket, check up on you, ask if you need a coffee or anything. They are wonderful.

Donna Bianchi

Compassionate care

Donna, who lives in Vaughan, retired in 2021 after working as an accounts receivable manager at The Shopping Channel for 32 years. She has a tight-knit fam­ily; she and her husband live next door to her in-laws. Her husband and two adult children are part of her sup­port system, and Donna is part of the support system for her father-in-law, also undergoing cancer treatment. As she told him after her diagnosis, they’re “in it together.”

Donna is now finished her chemotherapy treatment and will soon be starting radiation. One of the hardest parts so far was losing her hair after her second round of chemo­therapy — she was surprised at how cold she gets now. She also finds that she naps a lot; she was never a “nap person.”

Though it’s been a challenging time, she feels fortunate to have a medical team who caught, diag­nosed, and treated the cancer early. She’s also grate­ful for the Gale & Graham Wright BHC, which brings together care providers including pathologists, fam­ily physicians, nurses, mammography technologists, radiologists, ultrasound technologists, surgeons, social workers, and volunteers all under one roof.

The Gale & Graham Wright BHC was designed to be a unique healing space that promotes calmness and privacy. Since losing her hair, Donna appreciates the centre’s privacy, and even feels comfortable tak­ing her cap off. “I don’t feel like anyone is staring,” she said. “When you are going through a difficult cancer diagnosis, it’s so much nicer to be at MSH.”

She also appreciates the staff. “Everyone there is so kind,” she said. “Everyone knows your name, there are volunteers who will bring you a blanket, check up on you, ask if you need a coffee or anything. They are won­derful.”

Donna observed this kindness on many occasions, including when Markham Stouffville Hospital Founda­tion presented her with a cuddly teddy bear as a part of their Bear Necessities program. The program, created in 2016, was designed to raise funds while lifting the spirits of patients who need it most. In 2018, Bear Necessities expanded to include soft sleep sacks for newborns and plush blankets to keep patients warm and comfortable.

“It just made me feel warm inside,” said Donna about being presented with a bear. “Especially because you’re fighting cancer, you’re fighting for your life and you hope it’s working.”

Anyone who receives a “bear hug” is reminded that they’re not alone. As Donna points out, you’re never too old to get a teddy bear. “It’s sitting in my room, I see it every morning when I wake up.”

MSH relies on you

Aside from bringing comfort to those who need it, the program also supports critical, life-saving equipment that government funding can’t cover.

In 2023, MSH’s Cancer Centre became the fourth cancer centre in Canada to join the Princess Margaret Cancer Care Network — bringing a comprehensive range of services, clinical trials and research to the com­munity.

The newly dedicated space for the Gale & Graham Wright BHC, which officially opened in 2022, has al­lowed for the much-needed expansion of MSH’s Cancer Centre. In its first year of operation, the Gale & Graham Wright BHC facilitated 4,278 clinic visits, 3,183 chemo­therapy treatment visits, 8,257chemotherapy clinic vis­its and 444 breast cancer surgeries.

Despite this, the Cancer Centre has been experienc­ing an annual 11 to 14 per cent increase in patient vol­umes, treating upwards of 30 patients requiring chemo­therapy daily. Most days, all 14 chemotherapy chairs are full, and continued expansion is vital to delivering com­passionate care.

Breast cancer remains the most common cancer among Canadian women, with an estimated 28,600 new diagnoses in 2022, according to Statistics Canada. Breast cancer also accounts for about 25 per cent of new cases of cancer — and 14 per cent of all cancer-related deaths — in Canadian women.

One in eight women are expected to get breast can­cer in their lifetime, “so chances are someone you know — your sister, aunt, grandmother — has it,” said Donna. “Supporting the hospital could save someone you love. ” She’s thankful to donors who’ve made her care pos­sible, and programs like Bear Necessities that continue to raise funds for the type of patient-centred care that MSH provides.

MSH relies on community giving to help its doctors, nurses and staff deliver life-saving cancer care. Bear Ne­cessities are available for patients through a donation and can also be purchased as gifts for loved ones for any special occasion.

This Giving Tuesday, on December 3, for every Bear Necessity you buy, a second patient at MSH will re­ceive a bear hug, with Trifuno Sales matching donations up to $100,000. You can help make a patient’s stay a little more “bearable” and show someone you care at lifesavinggifts.ca or find out more about the work that Markham Stouffville Hospital Foundation does at mshf.on.ca.

Donors’ generosity helps ensure MSH patients can access the latest and greatest in today’s advanced medicine, close to home. Now more than ever, your gift is needed.

Due to the ongoing Canada Post strike, MSH Foun­dation is facing challenges during this crucial holiday season — a time when your support matters most. Please consider donating online or call (905)-472-7059.

Story published in the Toronto Star on December 3, 2024

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