Giving a Legacy Gift in Honour of a Decade of Added Life

With a name like Dr. Blood, Nanaimo’s Jackie Clabon knew her husband, Bill Katerenchuk, was in good hands when he was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2003.

The BC Cancer oncologist lived up to their high expectations when he suggested Bill participate in a clinical trial in brachytherapy, an internal radiation treatment via implanted seeds, that saved his life — and afforded the couple another precious decade together.

“We were together for 30 years. It was Bill’s third marriage and my second. We used to joke that we’d gotten all the bumps out. We were very lucky,” says Jackie.

Bill unfortunately passed away in 2015, at 85 years old from heart failure. In gratitude for the added years they enjoyed together, Jackie is leaving two gifts to the BC Cancer Foundation in her will.

“I believe in giving with a warm hand, but also in leaving a legacy,” she says of her donation to fuel research, such as the trial that afforded Bill another decade to devote to his beloved career as a real estate developer.

“Advancements in targeted treatments have greatly improved since Bill’s diagnosis. His 30-day course of radiation can now be delivered in five.” Breakthroughs that improve quantity and quality of life, and deliver more direct treatment in less time, are due to research, she says.

As a member of the BC Cancer Foundation’s Nanaimo Regional Advisory Council, Jackie was also inspired to include an additional gift in her estate plans after the recent announcement of a new BC Cancer centre in Nanaimo.

“Thirty days of driving from here to Victoria definitely took a toll on us,” she says, and she welcomes an opportunity to give to bring life-saving treatment much closer to home for local residents.