Several residents and out-of-town visitors attended the third annual National Cancer Survivor Day Celebration in Brantford on Sunday, June 1, 2025.
Organizer, Ronnie Campbell, said she was inspired to create the event after surviving stage four colon cancer. As a triathlete and nutritionist, getting her diagnosis was a shock.
“I actually didn’t have any symptoms,” she said. “I went in for a routine colonoscopy after my identical twin sister was diagnosed with breast cancer, and they found it in my colon and in my lymph nodes, and then they found it on my peritoneum. A couple weeks later, I went for another CAT scan, and it had spread to my liver and my lungs. I was originally given six months, but I’m now five years cancer free.”
Having gone through the ups and downs of her diagnosis, creating a nutrition guide for cancer patients, advocating to have naturopathic treatments covered by OHIP and trying to find as many resources for herself through her cancer journey, Campbell wanted to provide others with valuable resources as well.
“As a cancer survivor myself, National Cancer Survivor Day means a lot to me,” she said. “This is a celebration that is held around the world, and it was one of those things that I didn’t even know about when I was going through cancer, and so it was important to me to bring it here.”
‘I really wanted to create an event where anybody that’s just been diagnosed, is currently going through treatment, has survived it or has been a caregiver, could come out and hear each other’s stories,” added Campbell. “I think, especially when you’ve just been diagnosed, it’s such a kick in the stomach that you can’t help but think the worst, so to hear those stories and know that survival is possible, can make a big difference. Also, when you’re going through something like this, it’s really important to know what organizations are out there, and so all of our vendors here today offer different services and products for cancer patients.”
Vendors who were present throughout the event included: Arlene’s Healthy Essentials, the Cancer Assistance Program, Cancer Fatigue Services, The Nu Me Boutique, Right as Rain Health Collective, The Healing Cottage, and Campbell’s RonniesWellness4Life.
To kick off the event Peter Laneas, the event’s master of ceremonies, first introduced Councillor Greg Martin, to not only bring greetings from the City of Brantford, but to share a bit about how he was diagnosed, and beat, prostate cancer.
Following his talk, Sarah DiMuro and Sherry Taylor both shared their experiences with being diagnosed with breast cancer and the journey that followed.
Taylor, who just recently completed her treatment, reminded everyone that while things may seem bleak, they should never lose hope.
“I just want to say no one is the same, everyone’s DNA is different and everyone reacts differently to everything,” she said. “When you think that there isn’t hope or that your story is worse than the next person’s, remember that your DNA is completely different and you’re going to handle it differently. You may respond to medication differently and your body may respond really well and actually get you through something that you never thought it could. So, never give up hope.”
Afterwards, Laneas, Campbell and Mark Wintermute, all partook in a panel. The three took turns answering questions from the perspective of a caregiver, a survivor and someone who’s done both.
Campbell, of course, shared her perspective from the point of view as a survivor, while Laneas addressed the questions as both a two-time testicular cancer survivor and a caregiver for his father following a lung cancer diagnosis.
Wintermute, who shared a bit about his experience as a caregiver for his partner, Nicole Lassaline, stressed the importance of advocating for your loved ones, and encouraging them to advocate for themselves.
“If you take anything away today and you are on a cancer journey, advocate for yourself,” he said. “You don’t have to be obnoxious and you don’t have to be loud, but if you are in the Ontario medical system, you need to advocate for yourself.”
When asked what advice he had for new caregivers, Wintermute said yes, be there to support your loved one, but also remember to take care of yourself too.
“I went in determined that it wasn’t going to be about me and I went in determined that she was not going to fall through the cracks,” he said. “But there is a need to look after yourself too. You may not realize you’re going off the tracks so be aware, and don’t lose sight of yourself.”
Once the panel wrapped and door prizes were handed out and collected, both Campbell and Laneas shared more about their diagnosis, their treatments and what it’s like to be not only a survivor, but an advocate.
In all, though the stories shared throughout the event were at times, emotional, the day was filled with laughter, shared resources and meaningful connections.
“My hope for everyone in this room is that you don’t have to be the strong one, and you don’t have to do this alone,” said Laneas. “Your story has value whether you share it from the stage or from a hospital bed. I hope that you leave today feeling seen, heard, and maybe a little bit lighter knowing that someone gets it. My final thought is, you’re not alone; your story is power. In each other… we have perspective, connection and purpose.”
Kimberly De Jong’s reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative.The funding allows her to report rural and agricultural stories from Blandford-Blenheim and Brant County. Reach her at kimberly.dejong@brantbeacon.ca.
