...And neither does cancer.

Listen to Kristine's story (Corus radio ad)

My name is Kristine, and I learned that difficult lesson first-hand as my young family was joyfully preparing for the birth of our third child.

After experiencing some abnormal bleeding, I was sent for a colposcopy and cervical biopsy. That’s when I learned I had precancerous cells. They seemed to be slowgrowing, though, and it was very unlikely I’d require treatment before my baby was born. As a precaution, I was scheduled for another set of tests a few months later.

I’ll never forget the day the news came.

It was my husband’s birthday, and my mother and I had been out shopping that day. I had several people coming by the house that night, and I was in a flurry to get ready. So much so, that I didn’t check my cell phone as I’d hurried through my day. When I got home, I saw that there were several messages waiting for me. I was about to begin checking them when the phone rang again. It was my husband, frantically saying he was on his way home and that I needed to call my doctor.

I was 28 years old and pregnant. I had a party to host. And I had cervical cancer.

The rest is a blur. Within a few days of my diagnosis, I was sent to see Dr. Val Capstick, a Gynecologic Oncologist and researcher at the Royal Alexandra Hospital. The cells which had been slow-growing were now rapidly multiplying and my life was in danger. She said I would need to deliver the baby by Caesarian-section, and the sooner the better.

At 37 weeks, I delivered my son, Brock, happy and healthy at the Royal Alexandra Hospital. Immediately following the delivery, Dr. Capstick performed a radical hysterectomy.

That was four years ago, and I’ve been cancer-free ever since. Thanks to the excellent care and treatment I received, I’m going to be around to see my children graduate high school, get married, have babies of their own. I have time, and there’s nothing more precious than that.

And now, the time is right for Edmonton’s first dedicated women’s hospital. Opening soon on the Royal Alexandra Hospital campus, the Lois Hole Hospital for Women will care for women of all ages and in all stages of their lives. That’s important to remember, because whether you’re 14, 34 or 84, women’s health issues surface in a myriad of ways: pre- and postmenstrual issues, gynecologic cancers, obstetrical complications, pelvic floor disorders and urological conditions, to name only a few.

The Lois Hole Hospital will also play a key role in the research and treatment of gynecologic cancers, including cervical cancer. Researcher-clinicians like Dr. Capstick are making tremendous strides in the study and treatment of these life-altering – and all-too-often deadly – diseases, and when the Lois Hole Hospital for Women opens later this year, it will offer our experts the opportunity to do more. And someday, more could make all the difference for a woman you know and love.

Any time of year is perfect to make a donation to the Lois Hole Hospital for Women, but perhaps there is no day more fitting than Mother’s Day. I ask that you join me in celebrating this special day, and the phenomenal women in your life, by making a donation to this important hospital.

In closing, I urge you to become a part of this remarkable facility by giving to the Lois Hole Hospital for Women. Your gift will open doors to exciting medical discoveries and innovative new treatments – treatments that benefit women for years to come – and will help us ensure all women have more time.

Have a beautiful, happy, hopeful spring. Happy Mother’s Day.
Kristine

Help us ensure all women have more time.
Make a donation to the Lois Hole Hospital for Women