Over the past five years, I’ve gained a great deal of experience advocating for change with politicians. But this year, for the first time, I truly felt that my voice was heard—and today, I saw firsthand how it can make a tangible difference.
In my previous post, I shared that I submitted two briefs to the House of Commons Standing Committee. The first was in January 2024, where I detailed how the 2018 Breast Cancer Screening Guidelines failed me. I explained the physical, emotional, and financial toll it took on me and my family, and concluded by proposing two key changes I hoped to see in the updated 2024 guidelines. In June, I submitted my second brief, focused on specific concerns with the proposed updates, offering practical recommendations to address them.
Today, the Standing Committee on Health—composed of twelve MPs from the three major national parties, along with representatives from the Bloc Québécois—presented their report to the House of Commons, titled Saving More Lives: Improving Guidance, Increasing Access, and Achieving Better Outcomes in Breast Cancer Screening. I was very excited to see my name in footnotes 51 and 88.
While the report doesn’t fully address all of my concerns, it does tackle many of them. As an individual patient, it’s encouraging to see that my voice has contributed to this shift. However, the report is only as meaningful as the actions that follow. It’s now up to the government to implement the changes outlined within it.
If we want to see real change, we must continue to advocate—not just for ourselves or for those who will be diagnosed with cancer in the future, but also to honour those who have paved the way but are no longer with us. Their efforts, too, deserve to be recognized and carried forward.
Together, we can make change happen.
I really appreciate the time you have taken to read my blog. If you think my advocacy or blog are helpful, feel free to send a little holiday cheer my way by buying me a coffee or helping out with my uninsured medical expenses.