First West Credit Union Puts Family First When Facing Cancer: James Funfer’s Story

“I used to be a very nervous flyer, and what often helped me was I would clock the flight attendants and be like, ‘Look at how relaxed and chill they are,’” says James Funfer who received the same peace of mind from his urologist and BC Cancer – Victoria oncologist Dr. Joanna Vergidis after his testicular cancer diagnosis in 2021.

“For me there was comfort in working with professionals who were kind and compassionate and whom I trusted when they calmly and confidently told me this was one of the most survivable forms of cancer.”

James received the same unwavering support from his employer, First West Credit Union.

“I’m of a generation where aligned values are really a critical component of why we choose to work somewhere — which is the reason I’ve been here as long as I have.”

In his nine years at First West Credit Union, James says he’s seen many employees going through health challenges. “Our organization has gone out of their way to support them, not because it’s mandated, but because it’s the right thing to do. It ties back into the co-operative values of a credit union.”

As an author of science fiction and fantasy novels, and a devout Dungeons & Dragons Dungeon Master (the person responsible for leading the tabletop role-playing game), James Funfer is not your typical credit union employee.

First West Credit Union, however, where he’s currently the Instructional Design Team Lead, isn’t your typical financial institution, he says.

“I was hesitant to go back into banking when I moved to Vancouver Island because of experiences I’ve had in the past. And I didn’t have a lot of awareness of credit unions, how they operate or that they’re member owned.”

Since 2022, First West Credit Union and its regional brands Island Savings, Envision Financial, Valley First, and Enderby & District Financial, has partnered with the BC Cancer Foundation, investing a total of $300,000 between 2022-2024 to increase access to cancer care across the province, including the development of a new BC Cancer centre in Nanaimo.

James lives in Lake Cowichan and works in Duncan, so an additional BC Cancer centre on the Island would increase capacity for patients like him who live north of the Malahat.

It was during a routine vasectomy at 37-years old that James’ doctor noticed an irregularity and sent him for an ultrasound. The next day he was informed he had testicular cancer. “It was very sudden and unexpected,” he says, and he was immediately referred to BC Cancer. More than three years after having surgery to remove a testicle, he’s doing well and is continuing to be monitored.

When First West Credit Union asked employees who had faced cancer to share their story, James felt it was important to speak up to raise awareness about the most common type of cancer in young men.

“More and more young people are getting diagnosed with cancer. I thought it was important to show that it can happen to anybody. It’s not just senior citizens that are getting cancer. It’s something you might have to deal with and live with and prepare for at any stage of your life,” says James, who is proud to work for an organization that is investing in cancer care in B.C. to be a part of the solution.