Holly Dixon and Anna Racine are battling cancer and have to travel out of town to receive treatment (Image Credit: CFJC Today)

By Chad Klassen

CANCER CLINIC PROMISE

Cancer patients hopes B.C. government comes through on latest promise for clinic in Kamloops

Oct 7, 2020 | 4:23 PM

KAMLOOPS — Holly Dixon is heading back to Kelowna for surgery. The 32-year-old Kamloops resident has cervical cancer and has had her fair share of trips south for cancer treatment, sometimes five days a week with some hotel stays.

A cancer clinic at home would eliminate the stress and cost of travelling.

“If they had radiation here, it means I could live a lot more normal of a life,” noted Dixon. “I’d be at home instead of driving two hours. Radiation takes about 15-to-20 minutes, so I’m driving three hours, one way, to do a 15-minute treatment, and then driving back.”

Dixon says it costs $100 for a day trip to Kelowna and more if you throw in a hotel stay.

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Anna Racine is in a similar situation. She’s battling melanoma while caring for her two-year-old son as a single mom. She travels to Vernon right now, but will need to go to Kelowna when treatments ramp up. Racine feels a cancer clinic would also bring in the necessary specialists.

“I think a cancer clinic here in Kamloops would be really great because it might help attract other oncologists that treat my type of cancer,” she said. “And it might also provide a lot more opportunities for cancer patients. My next step will probably be radiation, so I’ll be in that same spot as Holly having to travel back and forth to Kelowna.”

On Wednesday (Oct. 7), NDP Leader John Horgan promised a new cancer clinic would be built in Kamloops — a promise that’s nothing new before an election.

“We’re going to have a cancer facility [in Kamloops]. We should be building it right now,” said former B.C. premier Mike Harcourt on the campaign trail in September, 1991.

Harcourt assured Kamloops one would be built, but in 1992 the cancer clinic was awarded to Kelowna.

“I guess it’s like I’ve been kicked in the stomach or some other vital area,” reacted former Kamloops mayor Cliff Branchflower after the announcement.

Anna Thomas, NDP candidate in Kamloops-South Thompson, says if elected, she would push for the centre to be built.

“I will not stop amplifying the need for a cancer clinic treatment centre in Kamloops for our community members,” she said. “Our community members deserve quality healthcare.”

On Tuesday, the two B.C. Liberal incumbents in Kamloops, Todd Stone and Peter Milobar, made a similar announcement, committing $5 million for a new cancer treatment centre that would include two linear accelerators for patients.

Milobar remarked that before the election, Horgan didn’t promise anything for Kamloops. The Liberals feels it’s a direct response to their announcement.

“This is a replacement project that’s actually been talked about for some time and that’s why it’s frankly disappointing for us,” said Milobar at a media announcement on Tuesday. “You think to the three days leading up to the election, there was almost 50 or 60 government press releases about programs announced around the province. Quite frankly, there was nothing announced for Kamloops. John Horgan has completely turned his back on this city and region.”

Dixon really hopes a cancer clinic comes to Kamloops. She says it would make her treatment less stressful than it already is.

“A lot of the people that I’ve met down in Kelowna are in Kamloops. You’re sitting in the waiting room and people are like, ‘Where are you from? Oh, Kamloops. What about you? Kamloops. What about you? Kamloops.’ So it would be really good to have something here locally so people don’t have to travel as far for treatment.”