Published September 22, 2026
At the time, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre was performing stem cell transplants only for patients whose cancer was in remission. But Dr. Hans Messner, who pioneered stem cell transplants at The Princess Margaret, was willing to pursue a bold new approach. It was the first time the procedure would be attempted under these circumstances at The Princess Margaret and in Canada.
With her sister as a matching donor, Margaret received a stem cell transplant the following month. Just 18 days later, she walked out of her isolation room with no traces of cancer left in her body. The leukemia never returned.
“I’m alive today because Dr. Messner was willing to try something new. It's an extraordinary environment at The Princess Margaret. They have a real spirit of innovation. There aren’t a lot of hospitals where doctors take the discoveries they make in their labs and then translate that directly into care in the clinic, like mine did.”
It’s one of the reasons she believes so strongly in supporting this work. Margaret’s philanthropy reflects her deep belief in giving back to the same kind of innovative research that saved her own life. She’s participated in The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation Ride where she publicly shared her story for the first time, and she’s also made a gift in her Will, leaving a powerful legacy of hope for future generations.
Now, she’s made a generous $100,000 commitment to The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation. Her donation will help advance the Allogeneic Blood and Marrow Transplant (Allo BMT) program, in hopes of accelerating treatment options for others like her.
Delivering more advanced therapies with fewer side effects is one of the key priorities for Carry The Fire, Canada’s largest ever cancer fundraising campaign, making Margaret’s gift a valuable contribution to innovative treatments that move beyond chemotherapy.
“I am living proof of what innovation can achieve,” Margaret says. “The treatment that saved my life was pioneering at the time and seeing how much cancer care has evolved since then gives me tremendous hope. My gift is an investment in that progress and in the patients whose lives will be changed by discoveries still to come. I trust The Princess Margaret to keep pushing the science forward.”
Margaret’s generosity will give researchers the resources to explore bold ideas and accelerate new treatments for patients who, as she once did, may feel their options are running out. Her gift is also a deeply personal expression of gratitude. “There are not enough ways for me to say thank you for the life I have been given,” Margaret says. “Through my philanthropy, I can give back, create meaning in my own life and help offer hope to someone else.”