Saskatoon blood cancer survivor aims for cure by hosting fundraiser and walk
A Saskatoon woman with an incurable blood cancer, myeloma, is hoping to raise awareness and money to help find a cure.
Marie Prokopiw is a retired nurse and was diagnosed with myeloma 10 years ago after getting blood work due to several symptoms she was experiencing.
Multiple myeloma is a type of blood cancer that forms in a type of white cell, called a plasma cell, found in bone marrow.
“And so of course I went through all the usual symptoms of ‘why on earth did this happen to me,’” Prokopiw told CTV News.
In 2015 Prokopiw received a stem cell transplant and was able to recover.
The following year she was diagnosed with breast cancer.
“I thought we can do something about this one you know, I mean lots of people are living with having had breast cancer,” she said.
Prokopiw was able to get treatment and is in remission for both cancers.
Now, she wants to help others with myeloma and raise money and awareness to find a cure.
The Multiple Myeloma March in Saskatoon is happening on Sept. 26 at 2:30 p.m. at the Zion Lutheran Church.
Prokopiw is hoping to raise more than $20,000. Those who want to social distance or can’t attend are encouraged to walk in their own neighbourhood to show their support.
“Even (if) the doctors became more aware of what multiple myeloma is as well as people, then it would be more easily diagnosed and people wouldn’t have to suffer as long,” Prokopiw said.
80 SASK. CASES A YEAR
Dr. Julie Stakiw, an oncologist at the Saskatoon Cancer Centre, says there are 80 new cases of myeloma a year in Saskatchewan.
Stakiw says while mammograms and CT scans can diagnose other cancers, there isn’t an official screening process for myeloma.
“And so it usually ends up being a disease that’s usually diagnosed when people have symptoms, and by the time they have symptoms from multiple myeloma the symptoms can cause a lot of organ damage,” Stakiew told CTV News.
Stakiew says blood cancer often doesn’t get as much attention as breast or lung cancer, another reason why people may not have heard of it.
Fatigue, bone pain and lower back pain are some symptoms that people with myeloma might experience.
“The more awareness that we have, the more that maybe people are willing to contribute to the research and work towards finding a cure.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Louis Gossett Jr., 1st Black man to win supporting actor Oscar, dies at 87
Louis Gossett Jr., the first Black man to win a supporting actor Oscar and an Emmy winner for his role in the seminal TV miniseries 'Roots,' has died. He was 87.
Weather alerts issued for 7 provinces, 1 territory
Warnings of up to 60 millimetres of rain and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces and one territory ahead of the Easter weekend.
He didn't trust police but sought their help anyway. Two days later, he was dead
Jameek Lowery was among more than 330 Black people who died after police stopped them with tactics that aren’t supposed to be deadly, like physical restraint and use of stun guns, The Associated Press found.
Luxury cruise line selling world cruise suite for US$1.7 million
Luxury operator Regent Seven Seas Cruises is raising their price tag to eye-watering levels, with a suite on an upcoming 140-day world voyage costing US$1.7 million.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
A Filipino villager is nailed to a cross for the 35th time on Good Friday to pray for world peace
A Filipino villager has been nailed to a wooden cross for the 35th time to reenact Jesus Christ’s suffering in a brutal Good Friday tradition he said he would devote to pray for peace in Ukraine, Gaza and the disputed South China Sea.
Ontario homeowner on the hook for $27,000 when contractor severed power line
An Ontario man who built a garage on his property has been locked in a battle with his electricity provider for a year and half over a severed power line.
Fluid in eye cells can 'boil' if you watch the eclipse without protection: expert
Millions of people in parts of Eastern and Atlantic Canada will be able to see the rare solar eclipse happening on April 8. But they should only look up if they have proper eye protection, experts say.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.