From Caregiver To Donor

When you spend 15 years in one place, it can feel a lot like home. Even after you leave, you’ll always want to help the people that made it feel special.

For Joy, home is the Radiation Therapy Department, found in the R.S. McLaughlin Durham Regional Cancer Centre (DRCC) at Lakeridge Health Oshawa. Joy watched the Radiation Department take shape following the Cancer Centre’s opening in 2007.

“I remember when it was just cement floors and walls,” she laughs. “It was bare. But we worked hard to turn it into a place where people felt welcome. It was an amazing opportunity to be part of something incredible for our community.”

Joy is a retired Medical Radiation Technologist (MRT). Having seen her department built from the ground up, she knows the importance of having comprehensive cancer care, close to home.

“When we didn't have this centre, we had patients who were driving hours and hours every day to get treatment in Toronto. It takes so much away from your quality of life,” Joy explains. “Now you can be in and out in 30 minutes and still have the rest of the day. Before it was your whole day.”

In 2024, more than 24,000 people received cancer care at DRCC. Nearly 3,200 of those patients required Radiation Therapy and relied on Radiation Oncologists and MRTs like Joy.

During her time at DRCC, Joy quickly realized how special her teammates are. She saw how their thoughtful, compassionate approach helped enhance the patient experience.

“It’s more than just a job pushing buttons and taking images,” she says. “It's sympathy, it's empathy, it's focusing on the care. Going to work was never just a job. It was a pleasure. It was an opportunity.”

At one point, Joy saw and felt that sympathy and empathy as a patient.

“In 2022 I was diagnosed with cancer, and I had care from all of my colleagues,” Joy recalls, “And I can't say enough about how professional they were and how kind they were supporting me.”

Recently, Joy had the chance to give back to her former department during MRT Week (November 2-8). During her time at Lakeridge Health, Joy organized lunches for her teammates during the week. Since 2024, she’s brought them in herself so she can thank everyone for their efforts.

This year’s lunch came with an extra-special donation of $10,000 to the Radiation Department. Her teammates were thrilled.

“I thought it was important to give back from both vantage points,” explains Joy. “From a staff perspective, who knows what it means to support and who knows what we need to do our jobs well. And from a patient perspective, knowing the importance of having state-of-the art care so close in Durham Region.”

Joy’s gift will support two pieces of equipment in the Radiation Department: a compression belt, which helps minimize the natural movements of a patient’s body during treatment, and a positioning system that helps support patients during their appointments.

“It’s really incredible,” explains Brian Leung, Manager, Radiation Therapy. “To bring in lunch is a lot of work on its own. But for Joy to come back and fund this equipment is inspiring. It sends a powerful message to the team.”

Joy knew the impact that supporting Lakeridge Health Foundation would have on cancer care. She had seen herself on posters and in videos throughout Our Cancer Campaign, which ended in 2024 and raised over $21 million for cancer care in our community.

“Now, I wanted to be a part of it. Before I could only offer myself, that’s why you saw me in posters and videos,” Joy laughs. “Now I’m in a really fortunate position to offer a little bit more. It’s important to pay things forward and contribute to making DRCC a centre of excellence.”

“Cancer should just be a footnote in someone’s life,” Joy says. “It shouldn’t be something they have to deal with and contend with every day.”

Lakeridge Health Foundation is grateful to Joy for her incredible generosity, and would like to thank all of our teammates in Radiation Therapy for their compassion, hard work and dedication.