Rachel Vaughan

I’m facing the fight against cancer!

For my 65th year I challenged myself with trying new things. I did the polar bear dip on January 1, gave up my favourite chocolate bars due to diabetes ,travelled across Canada and back  and now am hoping to bike 25k in person on September 28  in Halifax . Let the training begin! . None of these are as challenging as those who are fighting cancer,  however . I remember the day my mother in law told me that the hardest thing she ever had to do was leave George in the hospital at age five being told  he probably would never come home . In those days you could not stay with patients overnight  and how hard that was as a nurse herself. The last five years along with challenges of covid , we have watched from afar as cancer reached our family. To be so far away from my brother and sister in law as they both went through treatment has been so hard. I don’t think any one realizes how very grateful we are for the care and treatment they received in Halifax. Raising $1000 to participate is something I can do to show my appreciation and help with more research and innovation at QE II Health Sciences Centre . I would love you to join me on this journey. Thank you so much for any support as I train and prepare to go the distance! 

Nova Scotia has the highest cancer rates in all of Canada. 1 in 3 patients will not survive. To help combat these alarming stats, our BMO Ride for Cancer community is rallying like never before to introduce liquid biopsy technology that will help determine if a patient’s cancer is cured, if it has returned, and, if so, how best to treat it.

On Saturday, September 28, 2024, I’m riding alongside a community with one common goal: transforming local cancer care at the QEII Health Sciences Centre.  

Faster diagnosis saves lives, which is why BMO Ride for Cancer is on a mission to bring rapid cancer detection and monitoring to patients who have already undergone treatment. With a simple blood test that can happen anywhere in the province, QEII experts will use this revolutionary technology to uncover whether patients are cancer-free after surgery and the earliest signs if their cancer has returned.

This technology will be a game-changer. Life-changing benefits include:

• improving survival rates and provide potential cures with earlier detection and personalized treatment options;
• unlocking access to more clinical trials;
• sparing patients from unnecessary treatments and harmful side effects;
• keeping care closer to home and ensuring equitable access, as patients can undergo a simple blood test in any community in Nova Scotia;
• reducing the number of visits required to the QEII, which ultimately impacts wait times;
• providing critical answers about a patient’s cancer sooner, helping to relieve anxiety and worry; and much more.

By supporting my ride today, you are joining a community dedicated to moving the needle in cancer care for Nova Scotians. Your support will pave the way for a future of hope for all of us.

Are you ready to save lives?

To learn more about liquid biopsy technology and the impact your critical donation will have, click here.