“Grateful,” is the word that comes to Sarah Bull’s mind when she is asked about her treatment at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre (PMCC). This year, Sarah is an Honorary Chair of The Weekend to Conquer Cancer, on what will be her fifth walk.
When Sarah was diagnosed with breast cancer, she was scared: “I had a wonderful family with three children. I had built a successful investment firm with my partners, and I was in good health, running marathons and working out regularly, so the news really took me by surprise. My grandmother had lived to 108 years old and I just always assumed I was on the same trajectory.”
The team at PMCC acted quickly and she spent the next four and a half months in treatment.
“What impressed me most about the care I received was how the hospital made me feel. Every time I walked in, I felt like an individual. I didn’t get treated like I was a sick patient. In fact, when comparing notes with a friend who had cancer a few years ahead of me, it became very obvious we had very different treatment plans. The secret sauce at The Princess Margaret was their compassion, their advanced treatments and their individualized care. My family and I couldn’t be more thankful.”
During her cancer journey, she made a few promises to herself. One of which was she would never forget how PMCC made her feel. “Co-chairing the walk this year is my way to continue to deliver on that promise. More importantly, I get to help raise funds for the incredible research, technologies and innovative treatments that are being done at PMCC to save lives and make an incredibly difficult time, a little bit easier for others,” added Sarah.
Sarah’s fundraising goal is to ultimately raise $50,000 for the hospital and she is well on her way. What’s even more special is how her family continues to support her. Her kids have each set fundraising goals and have gotten their classmates at school involved in fundraising. There is even a friendly competition between the two schools to see who can raise more funds.
“I have always said to my three children that they need to try and find rainbows after the rain. For our family, this walk reminds us that no matter how scary and challenging something feels, not only can we get through it, but we can work hard to make it better, not just for us but for others.”
Published September 08, 2020