Foundational cracks: More supports needed for cancer patients
Builders are joining forces to help workers facing blood cancers.
Todd Yuen and his family.
To support construction workers and families impacted by blood cancers, support the FIRST ONSITE as its team raises funds for the Construction Industry Challenge.
In 2022 Todd Yuen felt like he was getting the flu. He began getting fevers and had almost no energy. But rather than running its course, he got sicker and sicker.
Yuen, the Business Operations Manager at First Onsite Property Restoration had been in the construction sector since his late teens, building an impressive resume of experience in the restoration industry. Starting as a taper on highrises, he rose up through the ranks.
“I thought I could push through it, that I’m going to get better and just kept trying to grind it out, thinking nothing else would be wrong,” he said.
He nearly collapsed while taking out the garbage and when he arrived at his office, his coworkers said he looked like he was on the verge of death. He managed to make it to the hospital and finally got some answers, but the results were devastating. The diagnosis was leukemia and it marked the start of a long and painful journey for him and his family.
Treatment included blood transfusions, chemotherapy, medications, bone marrow tests, stem cell transplants and more. And because his immune system was so weak, he could only have two permanent visitors and his school-age kids couldn’t see him.
“I was able to go home for one weekend to see my family and be together and then I went right back to the hospital for another round of chemotherapy,” he said.
He had almost no energy, lost weight and had no hair. But it seemed like the treatment was paying off. He got into remission and was able to spend some time at home.
“That’s when I found out my cancer had come back, and once it comes back, you’re deemed terminal because you’re not allowed to have a second transplant,” he said.
Inhibitor drugs helped keep the cancer at bay and he started a new round of chemotherapy, but he was shocked to find out that universal healthcare isn’t as universal as one might think.
“You have to pay for this pill out of pocket which is $8,000 a month or you can plead your case to the pharmaceutical company to convince them to give it to you,” he said. “Your oncologist has to say you are a good, healthy, strong candidate. They don’t want to spend money on you if you aren’t going to live. It’s a business for them.”
Thankfully, Yuen had a third-party group that was able to advocate on his behalf to get his drugs covered for the time being. But other drugs, like Posaconazole, which he used to treat a fungal lung infection he contracted during treatment, weren’t. And while government programs cover some of it, patents must reach a certain dollar threshold before that kicks in.
This doesn’t even factor in the fact that patients must relocate to within kilomoetre radius from their hospital due to the frequency of treatments and the dangerous, fragile state they will be in.
“If I wasn’t covered, I would be out $11,000 a month,” said Yuen. “I don’t see what families are supposed to do. This is beyond a fundraiser. There needs to be structural and policy change. It was very eye opening to to see what the medical system provided and didn’t provide ”
More than the painful treatments and financial challenges, Yuen found it most difficult to see the impact the disease has had on his young children.
“They don’t understand what’s going on or why things change or why you might not be able to play with them the way you could before,” said Yuen.
Seeing members of their community like Yuen experience life-changing blood cancers has prompted construction professionals to join forces and take action. Born in the early days of the pandemic in 2020, the Construction Industry Challenge for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada (LLSC) began when three leaders from competing construction firms in Montreal united for a greater cause: to raise critical funds for Canadians affected by blood cancers. Their collaboration sparked a movement that has since raised over $750,000 and has expanded to Halifax, Ottawa, and now Vancouver.
Last year, the Construction Industry Challenge raised over $150,000. This year, it aims to grow even further with the introduction of the Vancouver market by rallying its exceptional general contractors, developers, and trade contractors to support patients and families impacted by blood cancers.
Yuen explained that the money raised through the Construction Industry Challenge funds research and services to improve quality of life for Canadians affected by blood cancers.
“Every dollar counts,” said Yuen.
Visit this link to join the challenge and support families like Yuens.
