Marita Luk: Bringing Cancer Care Closer to Home

Marita Luk’s eyes tear up as she thinks about what the new BC Cancer – Burnaby McCarthy Centre will mean for local patients.

Diagnosed in her early-40s, she is an ambitious first generation Canadian with a close-knit family and circle of friends. She uses this description to reinforce that although you never imagine it will be you, cancer can touch anyone. And that improvements to care go beyond the statistics — they are changing the lives of real people.

“The addition of two new world-class cancer centres in the Fraser region will have a profound impact on patients,” says Dr. Sylvie Bourque, Executive Medical Director, BC Cancer – Surrey, also pointing to the second BC Cancer centre under construction in Surrey. “The burden of travelling long distances to receive care will be lifted for many families, allowing them to focus fully on healing. It will also expand research in our region – advancing innovative treatments and offering the latest in care to our patients.”

Without a cancer centre in Burnaby, Marita received treatment at BC Cancer – Vancouver. She reflects on her experience there as “one of the most inspiring of my life” — including the community of fellow patients she built, the kindness of her care team, the clinical study she participated in, and her continued advocacy to help provide comfort and guidance to new patients.

But she still faced challenges, beyond the diagnosis itself. Her most significant was the fear of inconveniencing her loved ones with her illness — a feeling she suspects many people, especially women, will know. Even at the most difficult point in her life, she did not want to place her needs above others.

At the time, Marita provided support for her aging parents and her partner who was experiencing health issues. This meant driving herself or taking transit to Vancouver for treatments. In Burnaby, it would have been a short cab ride or perhaps she would have asked a loved one, knowing they wouldn’t need to take the day off work.

“The only times I had people drive me were when I was going through a surgery and under anesthesia. My people work in Burnaby. Even though they were so supportive, I just didn’t want to impose on or worry anyone.”

The commute brought the added stress of navigating rush hour traffic in order to make it to her appointment on time, concern of how she would feel following treatment and repeating the halting, bumper-to-bumper drive back home.

To keep her spirits up, she joined a BC Cancer Foundation-funded exercise study that brought together a group of women sharing similar experiences. The group quickly became each other’s support system — a safe space to discuss their shared experience while avoiding creating fear in their families. Strong friendships developed, and Marita and a group of these women even went to Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon to celebrate finishing treatment.

She hopes BC Cancer – Burnaby will bring that same feeling of community closer to home for those facing cancer. “This is our home and you don’t want to leave home during such a difficult time. To have treatment and support in Burnaby will make a huge difference in our lives.”

BC Cancer Foundation is fundraising $10 million to support BC Cancer – Burnaby McCarthy Centre, bringing life-saving care and research to the city.