Staff at the Windsor Regional Cancer Centre hold a donation cheque presented by the Windsor Cancer Centre Foundation. (Photo by Alyssa Leonard)Staff at the Windsor Regional Cancer Centre hold a donation cheque presented by the Windsor Cancer Centre Foundation. (Photo by Alyssa Leonard)
Windsor

Funding For Five Programs At Cancer Centre

Thanks to a total donation of $138,946, breast cancer patients have access to more convenient and improved treatment options.

The Windsor Regional Cancer Centre has received the donation from the Windsor Cancer Centre Foundation. It will fund five programs at the cancer centre: breast reconstruction surgery, areola tattooing, video conferencing equipment, CADD Solis Ambulatory Pumps and Komutel Software Upgrades.

"It's all about the patient experience; making it better, their journey, for patients through cancer," said Jeff Richer, director of radiation oncology at the WRCC. "It's all about making the experience in the facility world class for our patients."

Richer says the money will help patients with mastectomies receive immediate breast reconstruction surgery, instead of having to wait.  The ambulatory pumps will allow patients to do chemotherapy in the comfort of their own home.

He says that Cancer Care Ontario only funds radiation treatment machines and, just recently, PET/CT scans.

"Any other piece of equipment, no matter if it's a piece of x-ray equipment or surgical equipment, anything we use in the hospital, we have to find a way of funding that," said Richer. "Almost all of it comes from donated funds."

The WCCF was first founded in 1996 with the goal of equipping and enhancing, what was then, the planned new WRCC. With wanting to make cancer treatment less stressful for patients and their families, it continues to raise money for state-of-the-art equipment and patient amenities.  Since it's founding, the foundation has donated over $25 million to the cancer centre.

Houida Kassem is the executive director at the WCCF. She says the foundation is thrilled to be able to make this donation to the cancer centre.

"Windsor-Essex is by far the most generous community. You ask, and you get," Kassem said. "It sometimes is so overwhelming the support that we get, and I think that's a testament to who we have in our community."

She says without the support of the community and donors, the cancer centre would not have the state-of-the-art equipment and care that it has.

The WCCF is currently holding a women's campaign called Lock Out Cancer. Supporters can purchase a lock online at lockoutcancer.com throughout May, and on June 3, lock it around the cancer centre's healing garden.

"Each person who purchases a lock will be able to inscribe a name on it or a message of hope, and then they can take their lock and we're going to lock out cancer together," said Kassem.

Read More Local Stories