Recently, over a hundred and fifty people gathered to celebrate the official grand opening of the West Island Cancer Wellness Centre, along with some of the West Island’s municipal authorities.
During the ribbon cutting ceremony, Mrs. Debby Magwood and Mrs. Jill Boileau, proud co-founders of the Centre, were surrounded by the staff members and volunteers who contributed to fulfilling their dream of offering a haven to people encountering cancer to help empower them mind, body and spirit.
For the Board President, psychologist Debbie Magwood, and her team, protecting the integrity of the person encountering cancer is accomplished by providing compassionate support and comprehensive information. “For 15 years, I’d had this vision in my mind of what I wanted the West Island Cancer Wellness Centre to be. I wanted to create a place where cancer patients and their families could feel safe, and where we could provide the right resources, the most complete information possible, and receive support from diagnosis to one year post-treatment”, said Mrs. Magwood. Therefore, the Centre acts as a home-away-from-home, a warm environment staffed by caring people who help patients experiencing cancer and their support circle lead productive lives.
According to Mrs. Jill Boileau, co-founder, the West Island community should be really proud of this accomplishment. “The opening of the West Island Cancer Wellness Centre is a stunning example of a community coming together to answer a crucial need. It is the result of great effort from our amazing staff, our incredible number of volunteers and some very generous foundations, organizations and companies.”
The West Island Cancer Wellness Centre provides patients with benefits of a whole-care approach to wellness while they encounter cancer. All services are free and are provided at the Centre. Services can be personalized or offered to groups. If needed, the Centre can connect patients to a great support network (psychologists, medical personnel, pharmacists, educators, etc.). All programs and services are listed and explained on the Centre’s website at www.wicwc.org.
Cancer: an illness that affects us allCancer was the leading cause of death in Quebec in 2008. More than one person out of three – 40% of Canadian women and 45% of Canadian men – will be diagnosed with cancer during their life. In a few years, this proportion is estimated to grow to one person out of two[1]. Sadly, it is likely that those who will be spared from the disease will, however, be affected by a friend or a family member’s cancer diagnosis. Therefore, the entire West Island community and surrounding areas may benefit from the West Island Cancer Wellness Centre.
About the West Island Cancer Wellness CentreThe West Island Cancer Wellness Centre (WICWC) helps people encountering cancer and their families. Through professional resources, educational programs and many services, it offers free compassionate support and comprehensive information for mind, body, and spirit.
