During the month of May, we’re filling up our social media sites with a lot of great information to help create awareness of bladder cancer to Canadians!
Know the facts
Bladder cancer is the 5th most common cancer in Canada and there are currently 80,000+ Canadians living with a bladder cancer diagnosis. This year, 12,500 more Canadians will be diagnosed.

Our newsletter this month shares all the great content that you might not have seen if you’re not on social media. 
Hear the stories
Our Bladder Cancer Awareness Month podcast returns once again this year with interviews with bladder cancer patients from across Canada.

You can find our podcast on Spotify here or on Buzzsprout here.

Celebrating Moms and Caregivers: On Mother’s Day, we talk with mom Lisa about her experience being a caregiver to her son Matteo, who had his bladder removed when he was only 2.5 years old. Matteo joins the podcast to speak with a very special surprise guest! 

Listen here.
Reusing Catheters and Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer: We talk with bladder cancer patient Angela, 37 when diagnosed initially with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer before it became muscle-invasive. She had her bladder removed last year and we talk about if her having Spina Bifida and reusing her catheters, after a lifetime of UTIs and bladder infections, could have led to her bladder cancer. This podcast is sponsored by Coloplast Canada.

Listen here.
Not Fitting the Bladder Cancer Profile – We talk with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer patient Krysta about being diagnosed at age 37 and having her tumour removed. Krysta talks about the importance of self-awareness, especially for women and how, if something doesn’t feel right, it’s important to seek medical help to rule out bladder cancer. This podcast is sponsored by Bristol Myers SquibbPfizer Canada and EMD Serono.

Listen here.
We’re also posting a four-part blog series from the perspective of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer patient Jonathan - he talks about being diagnosed with bladder cancer, his first resection surgery, receiving his results during the holidays and his first BCG treatment. 

Click any of the articles below to read Jonathan’s story.


You can listen to Jonathan talk about his BCG experience on our upcoming podcast along with Dr. Zlotta, member of Bladder Cancer Canada’s Medical Research Board and Professor in the Department of Surgery (Urology) at the University of Toronto and Director of Uro-Oncology at Mount Sinai Hospital.

The podcast will go live on Friday, May 27th and can be found on Spotify as part of the Bladder Cancer Canada Awareness Month podcast series.
Get support
Bladder Cancer Canada is thrilled to introduce our new Women’s Only Virtual Support Group! 

With more men than women commonly diagnosed with bladder cancer, women can often feel isolated or alone in their experience. The diagnosis, treatment and surgeries are different for women, and therefore the support they need is different as well. Bladder Cancer Canada is honoured to have volunteers Susan and Angela facilitate this exclusive group to support women across Canada, providing a safe space for women to speak openly about their unique challenges, questions or concerns  -  with someone who has been in their shoes.

The Women’s Only Support Group will meet via Zoom the first Wednesday of every month at 8pm ET.

If you would like to join this group, please email angelap@bladdercancercanada.org
Upcoming Webinars
Immunotherapy 101 – Tuesday, May 24
Join us on Tuesday, May 24 at 7pm ET for a webinar on Immunotherapy. In this webinar, we will discuss what is immunotherapy and how it works in your body and treatments for  muscle-invasive bladder cancer patients. We are pleased to welcome our speaker Dr. Aly-Khan A. Lalani, Assistant Professor at McMaster University, Medical Oncologist at the Juravinski Cancer Centre and an active member of the BCC Medical Advisory Committee.
BCC’s Advocacy Overview - Monday, June 13
Don’t miss our Advocacy FAQ Webinar taking place on Monday, June 13 at 7 pm ET.  During the session, you will have to the chance to:

  • Refresh your knowledge of advocacy – and more – through a re-cap of our recent Access to Medication Webinar Series*
  • Learn how to articulate the core facts about your issues by telling your personal story – including two real-life examples of personal stories from members of the BCC community
  • Ask advocacy-related questions of our experts (please submit your questions in advance by emailing theresa@bladdercancercanada.org)
*If you missed the Access to Medication Webinar Series and would like to learn more, you can view the recordings here
What will you grow?
We take pride in being a safe space for those living with a bladder cancer diagnosis and the caregivers supporting them. With our bladder cancer community in mind, we’ve created The Giving Garden - a virtual, tranquil place of love and hope, created to recognize the generosity of our monthly donors. 

If you are not already a monthly donor, join The Giving Garden today! Your commitment, hope and support can help our free programs and services flourish for years to come.

Take the immersive garden tour here and sign up now to join the monthly giving program.
Registration is now open
Canada Walks for Bladder Cancer is thrilled to be returning to in-person walking events this year and needs you to lace up your sneakers and join us for our 12th annual walk.
REGISTER TODAY and help us to raise awareness, support patients and fund lifesaving research. This year, 12,500 Canadians will be diagnosed with bladder cancer and with your support, we can engage more patients, family, friends, and represent more communities across Canada.

Register today and raise $100 by May 31st to be entered to win a fun pair of red sneakers or a $50 Amazon gift card.  

We cannot wait to walk with you in 2022!
Welcome to our new (or returning) volunteers!
Selina Simoes, Oscar Rios, Dhayo Khangsar, Deborah Roth, Angela Pelletier, Avi Satija, Gail D’Angelo & Evie Tran!

We are currently looking for volunteers to fill the following roles: Caregiver Support Group Facilitator, Walk Leads, Social Media Volunteer (Twitter), Volunteer Coordinator, Feedback Coordinator, BCC Spokesperson, Data Entry Volunteer & File Management Volunteer.
For more information on these positions, contact Theresa at theresab@bladdercancercanada.org.

Many thanks to our latest fundraisers!

Many thanks to our friends and supporters who recently held personal fundraisers for anniversaries, birthdays and other important life events to support BCC and the work we do.

Shout-outs this month goes to James, Jason, Carol Anne and Jessica! We so appreciate all that you’ve done! 

Be recognized! Visit our website here to learn how to host your own fundraiser.
Have a safe and happy long weekend!
Follow us online
Please join us on social media where we’ll be sharing updates and photos from our bladder cancer community. These social media sites are a great resource for patients, survivors, and caregivers.
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