Every cancer journey is different.
But one thing many patients share… is that it doesn’t end when they leave the hospital.
When appointments slow down and support fades, the impact of cancer can still be felt every day.
It’s the quiet moments.
The fatigue that lingers.
The feeling of not quite knowing how to move forward.
For patients like Tanya, healing means more than treatment.
It means rebuilding strength.
Finding connection.
Feeling understood again.
With the right support, patients can begin to move forward, at their own pace, in their own way.
Tanya’s Story
When Tanya James learned her cancer had returned, her world tilted.
“I had just started my life… and then cancer turned everything upside down,” she said.
Tanya had just moved to New Brunswick, started settling into her new home on the Kingston Peninsula, and was building a future with her husband. Life finally felt like it was moving forward.
And then, suddenly, it wasn’t.
This wasn’t her first diagnosis. At just 26, Tanya was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Since then, she has faced multiple relapses, extensive chemotherapy, CAR T-cell therapy in Ottawa, and two stem cell transplants.
Cancer has impacted nearly every part of her life, her body, her energy, her work, and her relationships.
“The fatigue can be overwhelming,” Tanya shared. “Even simple things like going for a walk or making a meal can feel impossible.”
And she’s not alone.
The Dr. Margot Burnell Cancer Support Program has supported more than 1,000 cancer patients and family members since its inception.
Many patients struggle not only with the physical effects of cancer but also with the emotional toll, fear, isolation, and uncertainty about how to move forward.
Some are unsure how to rebuild their strength. Others don’t know how to nourish their bodies when their appetite disappears. Many feel alone in what they’re experiencing.
Learn how lives are changing: https://sjrhfoundation.ca/2026/05/05/cancer-support/
That’s what the Dr. Margot Burnell Cancer Support Program makes possible, thanks to people like you!
