Your Donation Changes Everything: Dr. Roy Jackson’s Story

In November 2023, Dr. Roy Jackson was diagnosed with Stage 4 melanoma. Today, he’s alive, thriving and planning for the future — all because of breakthroughs in cancer care. 

For patients like Roy, donor support isn’t just meaningful. It’s lifesaving. The treatments he has received at BC Cancer, including cutting-edge immunotherapy, were made possible by years of research and collaboration. “Ten or 15 years ago, my prognosis would have been grim,” Roy says. “Now, I’m living well and I’m deeply grateful.” 

From Diagnosis to Determination 

A CT scan for a persistent cough revealed multiple tumours, including on Roy’s lungs and adrenal glands. As a physician, he understood the seriousness immediately. “It was devastating,” he recalls. “But I knew I had to fight.” 

He started treatment at BC Cancer – Surrey just days later. From his oncologist, Dr. Aleksi Suo, to the nurses in the systemic therapy unit, Roy felt supported every step of the way. “The care was exceptional,” he says. “They were knowledgeable, compassionate and truly invested in my recovery.” 

The Power of Immunotherapy 

Roy’s treatment didn’t involve chemotherapy or radiation. Instead, he received immunotherapy, a type of treatment that harnesses the body’s own immune system to destroy cancer cells.  These therapies, once experimental, are now used across many cancers thanks to translational research. 

“Immunotherapy is a game changer,” Roy says. “It’s not just helping melanoma patients. It’s now used for over 20 types of cancer.” 

Why Your Donation Matters 

“Donors have a vital part in the healthcare ecosystem,” Roy emphasizes. “Without them, these treatments wouldn’t exist. I wouldn’t be here.” 

Donor support fuels the research, trials and infrastructure needed to develop new therapies and bring them from lab to patient. It turns hope into reality for patients like Roy who once had few options. 

An OB-GYN’s Hope for Ovarian Cancer 

As an obstetrician-gynecologist, Roy is especially inspired by the research underway at BC Cancer’s donor-funded Deeley Research Centre in CAR-T cell immunotherapy for ovarian cancer. The team is developing CAR-T therapies for hard-to-treat cancers like ovarian and pancreatic. 

CAR-T cell therapy has proven remarkably effective at treating certain blood cancers, but until now has not been able to treat solid tumours. The goal is to launch CLIC-04, a first-in-Canada clinical trial, by 2027 that could offer new hope to patients facing these deadly diseases. 

“This kind of research is thrilling,” Roy says. “Ovarian cancer is notoriously difficult to treat. Seeing donor-funded innovation push the boundaries — it’s inspiring.” 

A Hub for Healing and Discovery 

That same spirit of innovation is taking shape in Surrey, where the provincial government is building a second BC Cancer centre in the city to meet the growing demand for care in the Fraser region. 

Once complete, this state-of-the-art facility will double treatment capacity, offer advanced imaging and radiation therapy, and bring specialized clinical trials closer to home for thousands of patients. It will also introduce several firsts for B.C., including MRI-guided brachytherapy, a purpose-built theranostics research space, and the Fraser region’s first PET/CT scanners and cyclotron. 

More than a treatment centre, Surrey will become a hub for research and discovery, attracting world-class talent and accelerating breakthroughs that will benefit patients like Roy across the province. 

The Foundation is fundraising $30 million to help equip the centre with these next-generation research and treatment technologies. 

Looking Ahead with Gratitude

Roy is preparing to return to part-time work as a physician, hoping to support others facing cancer. But his greatest motivation comes from home. 

His wife, Michelle, has been by his side through every moment. “She’s been with me through thick and thin,” Roy says. “Her strength and love have carried me.” 

And then there’s his granddaughter Bella, born just four months after his diagnosis. Her laughter, her energy and the way she calls out “Papa” have become daily reminders of what matters most. “She’s my inspiration,” Roy says. “I want to be here to watch her grow up.” 

Thanks to donor support, Roy can look forward to more milestones, more memories and more time with the people he loves most.