Belinda Stronach has come back from her battle with breast cancer to fundraise for a new initiative at Toronto General Hospital.
The hospital announced Tuesday it would be launching The Belinda Stronach Chair in Breast Cancer Reconstructive Surgery. It is the only such program in Canada.
Stronach said at a news conference she has already raised more than half of the $2 million goal and she is committed to seeing the rest of the money raised.
"I'm here with a bit of reluctance, I try to avoid discussions on my personal life," she told reporters. "But I feel extremely lucky through my experience and I've also learned a lot from the process. That's why I'm here today."
Stronach got involved after receiving a call from Dr. Marla Shapiro, a family physician, author and medical journalist frequently seen on CTV's Canada AM. Shapiro was instrumental in creating the academic position to further research in the field and recruit the best surgeons in the industry.
Shapiro, who is also a breast cancer survivor, said breast reconstructive surgery is not about vanity, but about the healing process.
"This is not about cosmetics, it's not about self-esteem. Reconstructive surgery is part of healing with dignity," she said at the news conference.
"It's difficult for a woman with a lot of self-esteem to look in the mirror and see no anatomical resemblance of what she used to look like."
She said she hopes the chair position will make the hospital a "center of excellence" that will attract doctors and researchers from around the world and train them in reconstructive surgery.
Shapiro also said she hopes the announcement will help women be aware of their options and encourage them to ask their physicians about the different types of reconstructive surgery available to them.
It is estimated only about 10 per cent of breast cancer survivors actually discuss reconstructive surgery with their doctors.
Stronach opted to leave Canada to receive a "later-stage" operation in California. She had her mastectomy and follow-up treatments here in Toronto but travelled to the United States after a recommendation from her personal physician.
"I needed some treatment that was not accessible to me in Canada," she explained at the news conference.
The wait times for patients to see specialists in breast cancer reconstructive surgery could take up to two years.
Stronach said she hopes having a research chair in breast cancer reconstructive surgery will help improve a woman's access to options.
"I want more women to be aware that this surgery is available to them and I also wanted to give the program at Toronto General Hospital and the University of Toronto the resources to expand so that more surgeons may be trained in the techniques necessary for successful breast cancer reconstruction."
A chair is an academic appointment, and will be held by a professor or associate professor most likely from the University of Toronto who has proven themselves as a leader in their field.
The $2 million will go towards funding a number of priorities, such as:
- Research to refine techniques and improve the outcomes of the procedure
- A fellowship program that will attract and train top surgeons
- A Visiting Professorship Program in breast cancer reconstructive surgery
