NOT ALL ANGELS HAVE WINGS A Network of Support for Moms with Cancer MATTHEW AND MELODIE
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ancer touches the lives of so many Canadians, but its impact is not felt equally. Mothers are society’s caregivers, but when they are diagnosed with cancer, they suddenly find themselves in need of care. Forced to choose between their own care and taking care of their families, moms too often sacrifice themselves. In 2009, Toronto-based business owner and mother Audrey Guth was diagnosed with breast cancer. While receiving treatment at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Audrey couldn’t believe the number of women who had no choice but to bring their young children to their medical appointments. Sitting next to her one day was a frail young woman whose toddler was fussing on her knee. Audrey saw tears fall upon the young mother’s sunken 62
cheeks. She thought to herself, what this woman needs right now is time to rest and recuperate, but how will that ever be possible with a young child at home? Having run a nanny agency for 20 years, Audrey realized she could leverage her expertise and make a difference in many moms’ lives with cancer. By engaging a network of volunteer Nanny Angels, Audrey would give moms the freedom to attend treatments without their children and time to rest when they got home. Nanny Angel Network (NAN) was born. Over time, Audrey realized childcare was not enough. Having lost her own father when she was 12 years old, she understood that kids needed the tools to cope with their parent’s illness and, in some cases, death. Research shows that children exposed to the long-term illness or death of a parent before the age of 18 have a 50 per cent higher incidence of mental health
issues. Audrey knew that NAN’s mission needed to expand and provide mothers with the necessary language and support to talk to their kids about their illness. “Kids are resilient, but they need to be able to talk about their feelings if they are to grow up to be healthy, well-adjusted adults.” NAN’s services fill an important gap in cancer care and are critical for those families with a limited support network. In 2018, Melodie was diagnosed with stage 3 ovarian cancer and given three years to live. “My first thought was my three beautiful children and everything I would miss in their lives.” But Melodie’s worries went further than that for her youngest child. Matthew has Down Syndrome and Autism, is non-verbal, and has significant cognitive delays, “I’m his primary caregiver, who would be able to look after him while I went through my treatments?” With family unable to help and financial resources already stretched,
