How a widowed mom managed breast cancer in the midst of grief

Transcript for the video CIBC Ambition Stories | How early detection saved Maith’s life. Opens a new window.

But in 2020, our world changed as Vince’s cancer, an aggressive type of terminal metastatic cancer, took a turn for the worse. At the same time, prompted by my doctor, I had my second scan at age 43 through an early mammogram program. On the same day my husband went in for surgery, I had a follow-up biopsy. My husband’s surgery went well, but he developed pneumonia and needed to be ventilated. In the midst of this, my biopsy revealed I had breast cancer.

My diagnosis left me stunned. I had no risk factors. There was no history or genetic marker of cancer in my family and I’d always focused on a healthy lifestyle. But you can do everything right in life and life still just does its thing. This is not something we could have planned for. I wasn't in denial, but I didn't want to deal with my diagnosis while my husband was sick, and the global pandemic complicated it even more. We had to manage our cancer treatments without our family and community visiting, holding our hands and providing emotional support.

When he passed away, I had to start my own cancer journey alone as a widow. Shortly after his death, I had a bilateral mastectomy at Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto, where I received exceptional care. The risk was high that cancer would reoccur in the other breast, so I decided to have the procedure to reduce my risk.

Breast cancer research, including early detection and treatment, has come a long way thanks to funding. Without it, many women might be diagnosed in the metastatic stage. In some ways, my story is a positive one because I was lucky enough to have treatment and an action plan. Following my mastectomy, the treatment included chemotherapy, targeted therapy and reconstruction surgery, and continued drug therapy to reduce recurrence.

It was overwhelming to come home from the hospital. Life continued. I still had to pay my bills, take care of my son and continue to move forward amid the sadness of losing my husband. I knew there was a future and I had to carry on for the sake of my son, but life had brought me to my knees. Fortunately, many people gathered around me and helped in any way they could.

Illness changes your perspective on life because it shows you how fragile it is. You have to rebuild. But with compassion, support and the right people, you can get through it. There is light at the end of the tunnel. I stayed focused on that during my healing process. Finally, I got to the point where I could imagine a future for me and my son.

I’m so grateful for the treatment I received and thankful that my bank, CIBC, invests in breast cancer screening to allow for early diagnosis. Had I not had the mammogram and biopsy when I did, I may not have known — or it could have been too late. Instead, I have hope for the future.

Today, I travel with my son, enjoy nature, and spend time entertaining, cooking and baking for my friends. I don’t take life for granted. I want to give my son everything my husband and I had planned. We will celebrate all those special moments because we don’t know how many we will have. That's my priority now.

Maith is one of the 1 in 8 women in Canada who will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. That’s a key reason why CIBC funding supports cancer screening, early detection and treatment — something Maith is incredibly grateful for.

At CIBC, the goal is to change the future of cancer. That’s why, for over 40 years, CIBC has invested in cancer research and diagnosis, wellness, survivorship and patient support programs. See how we’re supporting and making a difference in our communities.