Healing and Hope

Enter the Breast Cancer Centre of Hope (BCCH), a place created to help people whose lives have been affected by breast cancer, the most common cancer among Canadian women. Stepping into the centre–affectionately referred to by its staff as “Hope”–one immediately feels at home, from the smiling faces to the cozy atmosphere to the bright artwork greeting visitors.

“People walk in the door and you can feel the stress on them–I mean, physically feel it,” says Susan Kapilik, volunteer and community-based information and support programs coordinator for the BCCH. “And by the time they leave, they look calm and relaxed. There are hugs at the door. It’s amazing to see the transformation in people; it really is.”
A program of CancerCare Manitoba, the BCCH was established in 1997 when an advisory committee of health professionals and breast cancer patients examined the needs of women who were diagnosed with breast cancer in Manitoba. What they found was that women wanted a place that didn’t look like a hospital or clinic, a place where they could ask questions and meet with others who were going through the same experience as they were.

“To me, the BCCH is such a valuable asset,” says Melanie Sourisseau, who was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 29 and has been involved with the centre since 2005. “It really is a place where, during a very difficult time, women can discuss their situations in a safe environment.”

At the BCCH, information and support come in many forms. The most sought-after service, according to Kapilik, is the one-on-one consultations with the centre’s nurse-educator, who specializes in breast cancer oncology and can answer questions, determine treatment options and–most importantly–lend a compassionate ear to patients.
“I had the opportunity to ask more questions than when I was with my doctor,” says Sourisseau. “It was nice to have access to someone with the knowledge and in-depth information pertaining to me (and my situation).”

And that is exactly what the BCCH is aiming for, says Kapilik.

“When women are clear about the options that they have, it’s often easier for them,” she says. “Plus, they feel like they have a sounding board–someone who says, ‘I think you’re making the right decision. I’m behind you.’”

Peer support is also a cornerstone of the BCCH, which now has 45 peer support volunteers ranging from women who were diagnosed in their 20s to women in their late 60s. Some are married, some single, some have had lumpectomies or mastectomies, some reconstructive surgery, but they all offer the same thing: a chance for women to connect with someone who has been down the same path and can offer hope and reassurance in a time of need, whether to the woman herself or to her family and loved ones.
“What’s amazing about breast cancer is that so many women survive it–which is fabulous–and when they get there, they want to do something to help other women get through it,” says Kapilik. “I think it’s the nature of women to want to do that.”

“And the thing about Hope is that you don’t have to have a cancer diagnosis to come here,” she continues. “Husbands in particular sometimes feel unsure of what they can do to help.”

Though the BCCH does not run any support groups itself, it keeps track of and refers women and their families to support groups throughout the province and works hand-in-hand with other organizations to function as a clearing house for information about other breast cancer events, sessions and activity groups. It also works in partnership with the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority’s Breast Health Centre to offer educational sessions to women before and after their surgeries, as well as after their treatments.

“I think society thinks, ‘Oh, her chemo’s done; she’s all better now,’” says Kapilik. “And a lot of women find that that’s when they really struggle, because everyone expects them to be back to normal, but they’ve changed.”

And the consultations, peer support and educational sessions are not the only ways the BCCH connects with women. It also operates a bra and prostheses bank, where gently used bras and prostheses are available at no cost; an extensive lending library; and a toll-free telephone support line. Even women in rural or remote areas can benefit from the centre’s services–in addition to the support line, women can speak to the community contact volunteers stationed throughout the province, and the BCCH will happily provide information on rural events or activity groups.

Kapilik, who has worked at the BCCH for almost five years, says women all have different ways of coping, something the centre recognizes and respects–hence the plethora of support services.

“Some thrive on information; they feel like the more they know, the more empowered they are,” she says. “Some thrive on support. And some just really don’t want to talk about the cancer.” Most women visit the BCCH when they are initially diagnosed, she adds, and think they are looking for information–but are actually looking for reassurance, whether consciously or unconsciously.

As Sourisseau puts it, the BCCH truly is a “one-stop resource centre,” ensuring women do not have to look far to find that information and reassurance. The staff’s efforts to make the office as inviting a place as possible are evident—it boasts a welcoming living room area, three-season sunroom and healing garden courtyard, not to mention the aforementioned painting of a woman and a tree, inspired by the courtyard’s lone tree and a Leo Mol sculpture of a woman entitled “Hope.”

“Just being in comfortable surroundings makes a big difference,” says Kapilik. “The garden is run by volunteers because we want everyone to feel a sense of ownership in this place—that it is truly theirs.”

TOP PHOTO: Susan Kapilik, CancerCare’s Support Programs coordinator, visits with a client in the healing garden courtyard.

Photography by Ruth Bonneville