As the years went by, I had the pleasure of working with great medical staff and coworkers, and the areas I worked offered wonderful experiences...but not all my memories were so positive.

The toughest experiences, both personally and professionally, were that of caring for cancer patients. Patients, young and older, came into the hospital with what they thought were minor symptoms, which turned out to be high-grade tumours. Sometimes a short duration between diagnosis and treatment, means that some patients haven't had enough time for processing their diagnosis.

My dad passed away from cancer in 2007 and my aunt in 2017. I really understood then the power of cancer and its effect on the client and their families. For example, the stress of the initial diagnosis, fear of having cancer, surgery, treatment and prognosis for the future, can all be overwhelming when also facing illness. There were no other treatments available for my dad and aunt, and over a few months lost weight and muscle mass, most mobility and became bedridden, changes in cognition resulted in a loss of the ability to care for themselves and have or follow conversations with family and medical staff. I sat with them for long hours, wishing there was another method to ease their journey, illness, pain, and grief. I was quite involved in their care and there was a lasting sense of hopelessness when they lost their battle and passed away. During the care of patients and family members, I had self-reflected after each experience and one consistent thought was of needing to explore other modes of assistance and recovery. I was determined that there could be a way to make this experience easier for people dealing with cancer, that I focused my current work on helping those with cancer.