Walk to support adolescent and young adults cancer program set for the Beach this Saturday

By JESSICA SHACKLETON

Cancer can touch anyone at any age, and the Adolescent & Young Adults (AYA) Program at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre works to make sure there is tailored care for everyone.

To raise money for the AYA Program, a walk will be held on Saturday, May 9, in the Beach. The three-kilometre walk begins and ends at the Leuty Pavilion, foot of Lee Avenue.

Beach resident Jennifer Catsburg is an advanced practice nurse at the AYA Program. She has been at Princess Margaret for 16 years and with AYA for five. She said much of the funding for the program is philanthropic, but the group wanted to hold a fun fundraising event of its own.

“A lot of the work that we do is bringing people with cancer together so they can have some fun, so they can meet someone else who also lost their hair from chemo because their friends don’t understand,” said Catsburg. “So the compromise was a walk. Twenty dollars to register, raise money if you can, kids are free, bring your dogs, bring your strollers. We’re going to have music and face painting.”

This 3K for AYA is extra special for Catsburg, as the program has helped a fellow Beacher. Catsburg met Beth Johnston when she was a patient diagnosed with leukemia, and they quickly realized they lived in the same neighbourhood and had daughters the same age who went to the same school.

Johnston is now in recovery, and has helped to support and spread the word about the walk.

“We’re two Beach parents. I work in healthcare, she’s a cancer survivor, and she’s benefited from our program and is now sharing awareness. So that’s a really special piece of all of this,” said Catsburg.

The AYA program is for people between the ages of 18 and 39 diagnosed with cancer. It is an in-between age when patients are no longer pediatric but require different care than older people.

“It’s quite rare to be under 60 with a cancer, so these folks are isolated, and it’s an enormous disruption to your life, at any point, but if you’re in school or if you have a young family, or you’re busy with your career, and you have a cancer diagnosis as a young person, it’s devastating,” said Catsburg.

“These folks need tailored support like a counsellor to help them stay in school or update their resume to find a job after cancer,” she said.

AYA supports all aspects of the cancer journey, said Catsburg. The program is not limited to those receiving treatment at Princess Margaret. It’s open to anyone across the province, so the services need to remain accessible.

Funds raised at this Saturday’s walk will go towards mental health resources and peer support.

Local businesses, including Paper Route Café and Cobs Bread, are providing refreshments at the walk.

The event goes from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., with the walk starting at 9:30 a.m. The $20 registration fee serves as a donation. To register, please visit https://supportthepmcf.ca/ui/AYA3K