The Ben Stelter Foundation is helping bring some high-tech cancer treatment to Canada in the form of a new medical care and research facility in Edmonton.
The foundation, created in honour of the six-year-old Oilers mega fan who passed away from cancer in August 2022, is working with partners to bring proton therapy north of the border.
“He taught us to be kind, to smile, to give to others, and to make the world around us a better place,” said Ashif Mawji, chair of the Ben Stelter Foundation.
Proton therapy is the most advanced form of radiation therapy available to target specific types of cancers.
Together, the Ben Stelter Foundation, Edmonton Global and Westcan Proton Therapy Inc. hope to offer the treatment and establish a facility in Edmonton.
“We were never just focused on bringing a machine,” said Gordon Baltzer, CEO of WestCan Proton Therapy. “What we focused on was creating both a clinical and research-based centre of excellence.”
Baltzer said Penn Medicine is “meeting with the University of Alberta to begin the establishment of an academic, research and clinical collaboration, which is going to become the bedrock of our facility.”
The location has not yet been determined, but representatives hope it would be close to the Stollery to offer improved outcomes for young cancer patients, like Ben.
But the goal is to offer this kind of therapy to children and adults across Canada.
Last April, Ben’s father Mike was diagnosed with cancer. After months of just trying to find appropriate pain management, he heard about this therapy.
“What I needed was proton therapy,” he said. “And that was fine, except for the fact that we didn’t have proton therapy in Canada.”
Mike ended up travelling to the U.S. for treatment. It was time consuming, and a strain on his family and finances, but it was effective, he said.
“I’m happy to report I’m no longer taking the pain medication or the steroid treatment,” Mike said on Thursday. “The treatment works.”
Mawji said this is exactly the type of project for which the foundation exists.
“We want to set up a world-class facility with the best-in-class partners.”
Edmonton Oilers Captain Connor McDavid, who became close with Ben, was at the announcement.
“Ben meant a lot to me in the short time that he was here with us — my short time knowing him — but he was larger than life.
“Knowing that this proton therapy is coming here because of Ben and (that) it’s coming to Canada because of Ben, truly means his legacy is going to live on forever and help so, so many people,” McDavid said.
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