Connie H.

Connie is a 12-year Stage 4 colon cancer survivor who has become one of CanCare's most dedicated volunteers. When she received her diagnosis at just 46 years old, shortly after losing her father, Connie was ready to fight. Her cancer had metastasized to her lungs twice, requiring the removal of two-thirds of her left lung, leaving her with only one functioning lung. Despite the physical challenges, Connie's determination and faith carried her through 12 years of treatment, including chemotherapy, surgeries, lung collapses, and relapses.

During her own cancer journey, Connie didn't know about CanCare. She had support from her mother, husband, church, and faith, but she still experienced the universal doubt that comes with a cancer diagnosis: "Am I going to beat this?" As she explains, "Everybody has the thought of death. You need to talk to somebody to release that emotion and feeling. You can't talk to your family about it because then they feel like you're giving up, but you're not."

After achieving remission, Connie faced a new challenge—figuring out her purpose and identity post-cancer. "It was that stage most cancer patients go through," she said. "Who am I? What do I do? Where do I go from here? Your whole life is changed and you don't know where you fit into the world anymore." She found her answer in helping others, discovering that "when you help others, you don't think about yourself."

As a CanCare volunteer, Connie provides support through phone calls, in-person visits, and regular visits to Millennium infusion laboratory where she spends 2-3 hours twice a month visiting 30-40 patients receiving chemotherapy. She distributes brochures, bracelets, and hope to everyone she meets.

When asked about how CanCare impacted her life... I learned early in this journey that when you help others, you don't think about yourself. When you start taking the focus off your own illness, you'd be surprised how far you come. I've been on that journey—the emotions, the feelings and everything they're going through, I feel it. I feel very honored and rewarded to be able to give them hope.

My words to pass along to anyone facing cancer... It's so important to have somebody to walk by your side. When you're with CanCare, you're not alone. Just having somebody to talk to is priceless—you can't put a dollar amount on that. When you go through something so tragic and you don't know if you're going to come out of it alive or not, and you do come out of it alive, then it's a testimony and it needs to be shared.