Virginia Bradburne never took her health for granted and was diligent about her annual check-ups because breast cancer ran on her mother’s side of the family. But in October 2021, Virginia realized it had been nearly two years since her last appointment, due to COVID-19 closures, so Virginia wasted no time. “I insisted on getting a mammogram and it was then they found something suspicious,” Virginia says.
She was referred to the Michèle S. Darling Women’s Imaging and Assessment Centre at Trillium Health Partners’ Credit Valley Hospital site for an ultrasound and a biopsy in December. On December 21, Virginia met with Dr. Hosein who confirmed her worst fear. Virginia had Stage Two breast cancer in her right breast which had spread to lymph nodes under her right arm. “I felt panicked, absolutely panicked,” recalls Virginia.
Virginia’s health care team, which included Oncologist Dr. Mala Bahl, Surgeon Dr. Alana Hosein and Radiation Oncologist Dr. Jonathan Fung, recommended chemotherapy right away, surgery to remove the right breast and affected lymph nodes, followed by radiation. “I remember telling them how scared I was, and they all said, ‘We caught this early, we are going to beat this and we’ve got your back.’”
In January 2022, Virginia kicked off the New Year with five months of chemotherapy. Then in June she had the surgery to remove her right breast and over 15 lymph nodes followed by 16 radiation sessions, ending in September.
From the very beginning, Virginia felt supported and extremely cared for at the Centre. “Dr. Hosein was always available for any questions I had. She always made a point of getting back to me quickly and explaining everything to me very thoroughly.” Of receiving diagnoses and treatment at the Michèle S. Darling Women’s Imaging and Assessment Centre, Virginia adds, “They would show me the images from my MRIs and really took the time to explain everything. It made me feel like I had all the information I needed to make an informed decision on my care.”
Today, Virginia is cancer-free and finally back to her daily 5 km walks with Willow, her beloved lab mix. Now that she’s feeling better, she is anxious to get back to her volunteer role as a St. John’s Ambulance instructor, a position she took after retiring from her 24-year career as a teaching assistant for children with autism.
She remains immensely grateful for the support and expert care she received at the Michèle S. Darling Women’s Imaging and Assessment Centre and encourages anyone who can to give, so more patients like her can receive the same compassionate, quick and high-quality care, should they ever need it.
“The Darling Centre meant I was able to talk to all these different health care practitioners in one place so I could really understand what was going on. I’d highly recommend getting care here. And donor support helps ensure patients are getting the best care.”