Bonnie Cameron has spent most of her life helping people, but since being diagnosed with cancer this fall, she herself has been on the receiving end of help from family and friends.
She worked as a health-care professional in Regina for nearly 40 years. It was a passion of hers that began early on.
She remembers her mom telling her a story when she was about five or six years old after her brother came down with a fever.
“I’d be beside him, putting cold cloths on his head. Mom said ‘I knew you were destined to help people because you did that at a very early age,’” Cameron said.
“For me, it was a natural thing. Helping other people was something I needed to do.”
Cameron spent 25 years working at the Pasqua Hospital and 13 more at the Regina General.
She worked as a medical imaging technologist and also specialized in computerized tomography (CT) scanning.
Cameron moved to Bethune, Sask., in 2007 and retired in 2017.
“I loved what I did from day one. I loved being with patients and loved being the person looking after the patients,” Cameron said.
At the end of October this year, Cameron found herself back in a CT scanning room, but this time as a patient herself. She had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
“I’m very logical, and like I said, spending 38 years in health care… I’m no stranger to people who have cancer,” Cameron said.
“I thought I was ready for the diagnosis, but I wasn’t.”
Bonnie Cameron and her husband Sonny in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico in 2018.
Fortunately, Cameron has a strong support system by her side — in particular, her husband Sonny.
“My husband has been my rock. My absolute rock. I’d never be able to get through any of this without him,” Cameron said.
Along with her husband, there are many people who support Cameron in the greatest fight of her life.
On Saturday, friends and family travelled to Bethune from all over Saskatchewan and even Alberta to shower her with love.
Leading the way, was her long-time time friend John Van Deurzen from Cochrane, Atla. He and Sonny organized a parade of cars that drove by her home sharing words of encouragement.
“We got the news and it was devastating for everybody, but we immediately shifted into how we can help them get through this,” Van Deurzen said.
“They spent their lives caring for other people and now we’re giving back.”
As the parade of vehicles got closer to her home, led by Bethune first responders, Cameron remembers being overwhelmed with emotion.
“I heard sirens and said ‘I hope there’s no fire or accident’ and my husband said it’s for me,” Cameron said.
“Then I lost it. I started crying and said ‘it can’t be.’ It was like getting a huge needle in the arm — of positivity.”
Cameron has a heavy chemotherapy schedule ahead of her, but is ready to face it head-on.
A Facebook page was started to allow loved ones to share uplifting pictures and videos as Cameron’s battle continues.
“Every time I feel a little bit down, I’ll just start playing the videos of what happened Saturday and I’m sure to get a good chuckle,” Cameron said.