Turning Rare Cancer Diagnosis into a Legacy

Inspired by the care he received at BC Cancer, Larry Samuels left a generous gift in his will to the BC Cancer Foundation.

When Larry Samuels was diagnosed with undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (UPS) cancer — a rare type for which there is currently no cure — he was determined to find some good that could come out of it.

He saw an opportunity and generously chose to leave a gift in his will to the BC Cancer Foundation to help fund critical research into UPS cancer at BC Cancer.

“When bad things happen, we mustn’t throw our hands down. Instead, we must ask what we can do,” Larry said, crediting his mom and dad for teaching him to find the “ray of sunshine” in even the darkest times.

His hope was that his gift would change the way UPS cancer is diagnosed and treated, so patients in the future have more options, and better outcomes.

In addition to leaving a gift in his will, Larry’s philanthropic legacy lives on in the UPS Cancer Fist Bump Fund, which he established in honour of his BC Cancer oncologist, Dr. Ronan McDermott.

“He would fist bump me at the end of all our time together. This small celebration meant everything to me,” Larry shared.

“He showed me such grace, compassion and friendship — that’s why it’s called the Fist Bump Fund.”

When asked what he would say to someone considering leaving a gift in their will to the BC Cancer Foundation, Larry said to think about where those funds can have the most impact.

“My goal from the beginning was to save a life. If I can do that, every cent will be worth it.”

[CTA] To learn more, contact Jordan McClymont at jordan. mcclymont@bccancer.bc.ca or visit bccancerfoundation.com/legacy