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Vancouver Sun
30-07-2025
- Health
- Vancouver Sun
Canucks: B.C. cancer initiative hits home for Kirk and Genevieve McLean
Kirk McLean was adept at saving the day for the Vancouver Canucks and is a Ring Of Honour member. Now the franchise icon, along with wife Genevieve, are lending support for the biggest save in the game of life. They both have a history with cancer — Kirk lost his parents to the disease, and Genevieve is a three-time survivor — so supporting the Vancouver General Hospital and UBC Hospital Foundation's 'Greater Than Cancer' provincewide initiative really hits home. It was one thing for McLean to endure the NHL career disappointment of losing Game 7 of the 1994 Stanley Cup Final. Suddenly losing his parents to cancer in a short span of time was much harder to process, but a path to help others inflicted by the disease is always there. And he's happy to help. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. 'I was just freshly retired and it happened so quick,' McLean recalled Tuesday. 'They were both diagnosed, and then gone six months apart. My mom was 65 and dad was 67 and they had just retired. It was extremely tough because I was very close to them. 'And to lose them to this brutal disease, it hits you like a ton of bricks.' It could have changed McLean, but he has always championed causes, and works tirelessly as a Canucks ambassador. Adding his support to the 'Greater Than Cancer' initiative was a no-brainer. 'I was always brought up to give back and appreciate every day to the fullest,' stressed McLean. 'And this is an extra nudge to use my so-called celebrity status and connections for charities. Cancer is right there at the top for obvious reasons, and this campaign is awesome. There's an urgent need to expand capacity and better diagnosis, treatment, and advanced care. 'As much as money is thrown at this disease, there as diseases within the disease, and we have to kick this in the butt.' The initiative focuses on advancing state-of-the-art cancer diagnostics, surgery, and research at Vancouver General Hospital. It's where the most-complicated cases in B.C. are treated, and timing of this campaign is imperative. Cancer cases in the province continue to escalate, with more than 30,000 expected to be diagnosed with the disease this year. One in two British Columbians will face a cancer diagnosis in their lifetime, so ensuring specialists and superior resources are present to combat the disease is of paramount importance. VGH is the largest and most advanced hospital in the province, but there is an urgent need to expand capacity to better address cancer cases. The campaign has a goal of raising $35 million to produce treatments for patients across B.C. The initiative aligns with the provincial government's 10-year Cancer Action Plan announced in 2023. Community support and donations are also essential to help deliver world-class care and drive the next generation of cancer-fighting technology and treatments. Funding addresses the following foundation goals: • Renewed pathology laboratory at VGH to use the power of robotics and AI (Artificial Intelligence) to decrease diagnostic turnaround time and facilitate more accurate diagnosis. • State-of-the-art operating rooms and surgical tools. In April, VGH became the first hospital in Canada to conduct a surgical procedure by using a spine robot. In May, VGH opened the province's first in-patient clinical trials unit. Genevieve was diagnosed with leukemia as a child, and nine years later at the age of 24 there was a relapse. She received a life-saving blood transplant from her brother at VGH. However, in 2017, Genevieve faced another cancer battle. A six-by-five centimetre tumour was discovered in her adrenal gland and successfully removed. She remains cancer free today and is beyond grateful. 'It for sure changes you, because the little things now don't matter as much after going through that,' said Genevieve. 'It changes your perspective as the years go by because you realize how lucky you are. There's the cancer portion and the treatments and a lot of parts in your body are affected. 'Cancer doesn't just happen, it goes much further along and is always evolving. You get it and you think you're not going to graduate or get married and worry about the future. That's where it changed me. I was fortunate to meet Kirk's parents and it was very similar because faith is a big part of us. And so is being happy day by day because life isn't guaranteed.' Cancer doesn't play favourites. Genevieve played sports in high school and was modelling when struck by the cancer relapse. There was no family history of cancer. She had been in New York and Italy and then returned home, and wham, it hit her again. And when it struck for a third time, her mettle was tested. Was this like baseball, three strikes and she's out? 'I had lower-back pain, but I played sports growing up and thought it was just from working out, but Kirk told me it was ridiculous. Your back shouldn't be hurting all the time,' recalled Genevieve. 'I had such pain before, that this was nothing in the grand scheme of things, and I just put it (examination) off. 'I got tested at VGH and it was completely unrelated the other (cancers). I had to prep for three weeks with medication before the surgery and they do huge complex care and surgeries. I need to find that cancer-free bell and ring it.' For more initiative information, visit bkuzma@
CTV News
17-07-2025
- CTV News
Health-care worker attacked outside hospital
Vancouver Watch A 40-year-old nurse is recovering after being stabbed outside Vancouver General Hospital Monday evening.
CTV News
16-07-2025
- CTV News
Worker assaulted in Vancouver General Hospital parkade
The Vancouver General Hospital is seen on Tuesday, May 10, 2016. (Ben Miljure/CTV) A staff member at Vancouver General Hospital was left with serious injuries after being assaulted near the building Monday night, according to police. The Vancouver Police Department told CTV News it responded to a 911 call just after 7 p.m. and found a woman in her 40s in a parkade next to the hospital. Police described her injuries as serious, but not life-threatening. She is currently recovering in hospital. The VPD's Major Crime Section is investigating and no arrests have been made.
CTV News
26-06-2025
- Health
- CTV News
B.C. launches virtual cardiac rehab program
Vancouver Watch In a B.C. first, cardiac rehab can now be accessed virtually through a program at Vancouver General Hospital.
Vancouver Sun
13-06-2025
- Health
- Vancouver Sun
Letters to The Sun: Dilawri Foundation's donation is a life-changing gift
Re: Dilawri Foundation makes historic $60-million donation to VGH, UBC On behalf of the vast number of people who may be affected by heart disease and will need highly specialized care, but who at this time might not think of writing a letter to the editor, I want to say thank you to the Dilawri family for their enormous donation to the Vancouver General Hospital and UBC Hospital to create our own Mayo Clinic of the North. It is sure to benefit many of us for generations. With all the bad news in the world today, this is a beacon of goodness. Jane Murphy Thomas, Vancouver A daily roundup of Opinion pieces from the Sun and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Informed Opinion will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Re: Postmedia's Kim Bolan one of three honoured for courageous reporting by Canadian Association of Journalists Congratulations to our incredible journalist Kim Bolan, who has risked her life many, many times when investigating horrid drug gangs, murders and other hard crime. She is incredibly brave at the journalism she pursues, and all for our sakes. She deserves this award and more for her persistent bravery. Caroline Duncan, North Vancouver It is quite evident that Canadian wildfire agencies and politicians are resigned to the public dealing with mass evacuations, unhealthy air, and destruction. Year after year, nothing changes. Shame. Compared to landslides, windstorms, floods and earthquakes, public emergencies from wildfires are the easiest to prevent. All fires start small, and when acted upon quickly with the right resources, mass evacuations can be avoided. As a former wildfire protection officer and incident management team member, I can assert that the right type and number of aircraft dispatched on discovery determines the outcome. With changing weather and changing landscape, fires need to be hit extra hard and fast from the air on initial attack, night and day. Ground crews are no match for moving crown fires. Wildfire agencies and politicians must give initial air attack a higher priority, otherwise we can expect more of the same — small fires turning into monsters. Clarence Friesen, Kelowna Re: Letter: Not all involuntary treatment is the same Thank you to The Sun for printing Marilyn Baker's letter. It is so important to keep clarifying the distinction between mental illness and addictions. These used to be considered very separate issues — and indeed they are. People suffering from both problems up until the early 1990s were called 'dual diagnosis' patients. The Vancouver General Hospital had a special ward that treated each condition quite separately — which worked fairly well. It is important to keep reminding people that these two things are not the same. As Baker's letter points out, there is clear, fact-based medical evidence that antipsychotic treatment for mental illness works. We do not yet know for certain about addictions, thus the argument continues. Meanwhile, patients with schizophrenia and other serious mental illnesses must be treated as early as possible, so they can live safely and with dignity in the community. Jane Duval, Vancouver Re: B.C. public-sector jobs have more than doubled under the NDP A great article in The Sun on June 7, but vital data is missing. The provincial government has tripled its debt in a vain effort to maintain existing services. They will take on more debt in the years ahead. There is little prospect of a significant increase in GDP, and GDP per capita and GDP per purchasing power parity are decreasing month by month and year by year. Any would-be job applicant from the target countries — the U.S. and Australia — who takes the trouble to look at our levels of taxation, the costs of living and the purchasing power parity here will not apply. They might also check out the number of people here in B.C. without a family doctor and waiting times to see a consultant or for surgery. The article mentioned population growth and the resulting increased pressure on all public services, but no figures. Canada's population grew by well over 1.5 million last year. That figure includes all legal immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers. On top of this comes temporary foreign workers, special permits and others. The article concentrated on salaries in the public sector, but added to these figures must be pensions, supplies and other essential running costs. So, a great article, but no solutions. Sadly, it will continue to be a case of crisis management and ever more public debt and higher taxes. Paul Rhodes, Sechelt
