During Ian and Stephanie Tinker’s return trip back to the qathet region in June of 2022, the couple decided to stop in Thunder Bay, Ontario, at the Terry Fox Monument. In retrospect, Ian believes it may have been foreshadowing what came next.
In August, 2022, Ian and Stephanie began noticing a change in Ian's voice; he was losing bass. Their doctor did a scope of his throat in August, and then, in September, the doctor did a biopsy.
“It was the Wednesday before the Terry Fox Run,” said Stephanie. “I wanted to wait for the results before committing to anything, but Ian turned to me [the day after the biopsy] and said, ‘we are doing it!’”
So the couple signed up on Thursday calling themselves “Team Tinker,” and posted a message on social media to their family and friends about participating in the Terry Fox Run, with funds that they raised going to cancer research.
“Within those few days we were able to raise $1,100,” said Stephanie.
After the Terry Fox Run in September 2022, the couple found out Ian had to go through cancer treatment.
“It's like a gut punch,” said Stephanie, in her reaction to finding out the news. “We saw the oncologist in Victoria in November and started the treatment in mid-January.”
They were able to stay in Victoria close to the hospital and go for walks almost every day while Ian had radiation treatment.
Although the news was a shock and obviously scary for anyone, Ian stayed positive about the diagnosis.
“The diagnostics now are massive; they can find cancer anywhere with a PET [positron emission tomography] scan,” explained Ian. “The techniques now were not available 20 years ago, so chances of surviving cancer are so much greater nowadays.”
British Columbia is funding cutting-edge cancer research, and new cancer care facilities are being built in Nanaimo and Kamloops.
“Awareness of what could be happening, there should be more awareness around that,” said Ian. “Go talk to your doctor. There are some minor tests they can do, and once we were in the system, we have been in contact with four oncologists, a speech and language therapist, a nutritionist; they had a whole massive support.”
Ian and Stephanie were also impressed with how positive the staff and doctors were while he went for radiation treatment at the regional cancer centre in Victoria, one of six in the province.
“They were so positive and upbeat, they were just awesome,” said Stephanie and Ian.
Early diagnosis is key to a better possibility of beating cancer, and many folks in BC lack a general practitioner. However, earlier this year, the BC government launched a plan to address this issue.
“Ask questions,” said Ian. “Having a better understanding of the diagnosis and having access to good information, the better you feel; the biggest fear is not knowing.”
Ian believes his illness is because of environmental factors due to his job as a firefighter in Toronto, until he retired in 2017. He recently sent this message out on social media: “After successful radiation therapy, I am now a double cancer survivor. In order to support the many people suffering from this increasingly curable disease, Stephanie and I are participating in the Terry Fox Run on September 17, 2023.”
The couple will again participate as Team Tinker.
The Terry Fox Run starts at Powell River Recreation Complex (lower level) on Sunday, September 17, with organizer Leslie Paul at registration, beginning at 8 am.
Terry Fox’s Marathon of Hope began in 1980, with the simple objective of informing Canadians about the importance of finding a cure of cancer, and raising $1 from each Canadian for research. For more information or to donate, go to run.terryfox.ca/28858.
Join the Peak's email list for the top headlines right in your inbox Monday to Friday: prpeak.com/account/mailinglist.
