Jack Ady Cancer Centre helps patients stay local

LETHBRIDGE- Layne Barnett is a student at the University of Lethbridge, one semester away from graduating with an Education degree.

It was there, working towards his future, where his cancer journey started.

“I knew there was something wrong, something wrong in my stomach, so I went to the gastroenterologist on July the 18th.”

The doctor found a naval-sized tumor in Barnett’s colon, resulting in the removal of most of his large intestine.  His final diagnosis – Stage 3-B Colorectal Cancer.

“I was honestly pretty naive to cancer and how it worked and what would be going on, and I actually didn’t even know the centre existed until I came to it. It’s amazing, I feel like it almost became family.”

The Jack Ady Cancer Centre opened five years ago as an expansion to the existing centre.

“Our two doctors that specialize in radiation therapy see between 600 and 650 new patients per year. We have anywhere between 30 and 40 patients on treatment at any given time,” said Trevor Campbell, the Manger of the Radiation Therapy Centre at the Jack Ady.

With the number of cases growing every year, the centre offers a much-needed service to local cancer patients like Barnett.  It helps to relieve the burden of travel, keeping him close to his family.  It has been a welcomed relief for his wife Meagan.

“I was able to be there with Layne and support him, where had it been in Calgary I might not have been able to go so much and it might have been a little bit more difficult for our family.”

The Alberta Cancer Foundation also helps with the financial burden.

“Without their help, with the monetary help, we couldn’t have done it,” adds Barnett.

He says it was the positive attitude at the Jack Ady that gave him the boost he needed.

“You can conquer this, you can beat cancer.”