A Kelowna man honors his late wife with a generous donation and request during Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Walley Lightbody, a retired attorney from Okanagan, recently made a generous donation of $ 106,000 to the BC Cancer Foundation to fund breast cancer research and provide medication to breast cancer patients.
He said he wanted to help other people with breast cancer and spare their families the grief of losing them to the disease. He added that he hoped the donation will help raise awareness of the devastating effects of breast cancer.
According to the Canadian Cancer Society, 13 percent of female deaths in 2020 were from breast cancer, while in 2020, 87 percent were caused by other cancers in Canada. However, it is still the most common cancer in women and the second leading cause of cancer death in Canadian women.
Lightbody lost his wife Marietta to breast cancer in 2016.
“Marietta was the most loving, caring, and thoughtful partner and mother one could ever ask for,” he said.
“The cancer diagnosis was only made a few months before it cost her life. In those months it was devastating to watch the deterioration, especially the last few days in the hospital and then at home with the whole family. “
Lightbody had previously lost his mother and sister to breast cancer as well. Overall, he said that seeing them fight the disease and lose it encouraged him to donate to fund precision medicines for breast cancer patients, especially those with rare and difficult-to-treat subtypes.
Lightbody said he hoped for a day when breast cancer was eradicated and would no longer be a problem.
“Breast cancer cost my mother, sister, and wife their lives. In my naive way, if we can get rid of the cold virus and polio, surely we can do something better to get rid of breast cancer in our society, ”he said.
Lightbody is now encouraging others to be aware of symptoms, make regular checkups a part of their lives, and donate to breast cancer research when possible.
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BC Cancer Foundation Kelowna Okanagan
