From surviving to thriving

Stacie Belanger’s journey from cancer survivor to nurse

A life-threatening cough

At 19 years old, Stacie had started her post secondary education to become a teacher. She had big plans for her life, then she developed a cough and her entire world was put on hold.

Stacie’s nagging cough led to a chest X-ray. Within a few days, she was meeting with Dr. Henry Solow, a haematologist at Oak Valley Health’s Markham Stouffville Hospital (MSH). He ordered a biopsy which confirmed the diagnosis. Stacie had cancer. Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, to be precise.

Nurses make lasting impact

Two weeks later, Stacie was receiving her first chemotherapy treatment at MSH, scared and not knowing what to expect. Meeting the nurses at MSH changed everything. For the next six months, they walked with Stacie through her cancer journey, understanding better than anyone else what she was going through. They brought her warm blankets and sat quietly by her side when she was scared. They even sang to her on her 20th birthday. The nurses made a difficult situation so much better.

She finds it hard to believe now that this was almost 22 years ago. “I still remember it all so clearly,” Stacie recalls. “And I continue to be grateful to every person who took such great care of me at MSH.”

A career defining experience

After completing her treatment in July 2002, it was time to go back to school – but Stacie no longer wanted to be a teacher. Understanding and experiencing personally the impact nurses could have on someone’s life, Stacie was inspired to follow in their footsteps. For Stacie, it was an easy decision to switch her studies to nursing and five years after graduating she found herself back where it all began. Stacie became a nurse in MSH’s Labour and Delivery unit in the Stollery Family Centre for Childbirth & Children and never looked back.

“It was my turn, my privilege, to care for others just like I was cared for.

Stacie Belanger

Giving back

"Every time I see a patient, I reflect on my own experience and I remember all the little things that made such a difference for me.” Stacie says.

Stacie chose to have her life-saving chemotherapy treatment as a young patient at MSH because she believed it was where she would receive the best care, close to home. Now, as a nurse and patient care manager, having seen her colleagues go the extra mile for their patients, she knows that to be true.“I think about the life saving treatment I received here, thanks to Dr. Solow and his team. I still smile when I see him in the halls at MSH, remembering how much he did for me and continues to do for his patients,” Stacie remembers.

The real heroes

Stacie was touched to be nominated as an MSH Hero by a patient in the childbirth unit recently, but she insists that the real heroes are the donors who give generously to provide the funds Stacie and her health care colleagues need to do their jobs to the best of their ability.

Today, as both a former patient and a nurse, Stacie encourages others to give – knowing first hand how important donor support is to allow MSH to continue to provide lifesaving care to those who need it.

Please consider signing up as a monthly donor today.

Monthly giving is one of the most impactful ways to support MSH.

As a monthly donor you will provide reliable funding for critical and emerging needs. Starting in February all monthly gifts will be matched by a generous friend of the Foundation.

Join Stacie in making a difference for our patients and our community by becoming a monthly donor today.

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