Dr. Kiran Atwal has been lacing up and trekking the trails in preparation to conquer cancer once more.
The Bradford resident, retired dentist and cancer survivor is preparing for the 21-km Walk to Conquer Cancer taking place in Toronto on Sept. 7, and benefiting the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation, for which her team have already raised $4,897.
The cause is one especially close to Atwal, who received all of her treatment at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre after being diagnosed with breast cancer in early 2021.
“I’m at the point where I would do anything for that hospital and the foundation for cancer research,” she said. “I feel like I’m here today because of that hospital.”
Since 2022, Atwal estimates she and her family have raised about $40,000 for the foundation through participation in a similar annual event, the Journey to Conquer Cancer, including almost $13,000 in June.
She also volunteered to hand out water at the walk in September last year, and after experiencing the atmosphere of the event, decided to become a participant this year, forming a team with two friends.
“The people that were walking they were just amazing, they were inspiring, they were just so positive,” she said.
The three have been meeting once a week for the past few months to train for the event by walking various trails in Bradford and Newmarket.
By helping the foundation raise funds for the centre and for research, Atwal hopes the evolving field of medicine will be able to provide better prevention, detection and treatments for combating cancer.
“I hope it gets to the point where this type of diagnosis is not so terrifying,” she said.
Currently in its 22nd year, the annual walk has raised more than $190 million in total for cancer research so far, according to the foundation.
Atwal’s battle with cancer began in January 2021 when she discovered a lump, and based on the results of a mammogram and ultrasound was later told she needed to attend a designated breast clinic.
While she values the programs offered at other hospitals, Atwal chose to book her appointment with Princess Margaret in the hopes that their Gattuso Rapid Diagnostic Centre could help reduce the amount of stress and time spent waiting in uncertainty for test results.
That it did.
“I called on a Monday and had the appointment on the Thursday. They were so fast,” she said.
However, with that diagnosis came a series of difficult questions for Atwal, including how she would explain the news to her family and husband — whose mother had previously died of breast cancer — and how she could maintain normalcy for her then three-year-old daughter.
“Am I going to be around to raise her? That’s always in the back of my mind, even now,” she said.
At the time, Atwal was also practising as the sole dentist at her own office and wasn’t sure how or if she would be able to fulfill her obligations to her patients.
“It’s never about yourself, it’s all about everyone else around me and how do I take care of them,” she said.
In March, Atwal began chemotherapy, and eventually left her dental practice while undergoing treatment.
“It is very difficult,” she said. “It still gives me butterflies in my stomach when I think about losing all my hair and just how sick you get.”
Atwal recalled the advice she received from another cancer survivor to just do what she needed to do, and said she pushed through to be with her daughter.
Atwal also praised the “incredible” care she received at Princess Margaret, firmly believing in the old saying ‘whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.’
She’s living proof of that, completing her treatment in spring of 2022 with a renewed perspective on life, in which she finds more fulfillment even in the little things.
“I’m very thankful for each day. It’s so easy to get stuck in the motions of life and not even appreciate what we have.”
In addition to performing regular self exams, Atwal recommends people take advantage of the provincial government’s plan to lower the minimum age for its regular breast screening program from 50 to 40 as of this fall.
For those who are diagnosed with breast cancer, she recommends participating in information and support groups offered at hospitals and online.
“Know that you will get through it, and be open to reaching out, because there’s so much support out there,” she said. “It’s not a journey that you need to go through alone.”
The Canadian Cancer Society explains that breast cancer is the second leading cause of death from cancer in Canadian women, with an average of 84 Canadian women diagnosed and 15 dying from it each day.
The society estimates that about one in eight Canadian women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and one in 36 will die from it, projecting that in 2024 alone 30,500 will be diagnosed and 5,500 will die from it.
While less common, breast cancer also affects men and the society projects that in 2024, 290 Canadian men will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 60 will die from it.
Official websites offer more information about the Walk to Conquer Cancer and the foundation.
To help contribute to Atwal and her team’s efforts, visit their pledge page.
