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Emily was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2005. She was a healthy and active 69-year old and it came as quite a shock. “When I heard the news, I died inside,” Emily remembers. After an initial colonoscopy, she flew to St. John’s for surgery. Her son flew from Rocky Harbour to be with her during her surgery and later arranged her trip back to Happy Valley-Goose Bay.
Later, Emily had to return to St. John’s to meet with her Oncology Team. She then realized that future oncology consultations could be done via video conference. Emily received her initial round of chemotherapy in Happy Valley-Goose Bay. This was a positive experience and she felt that such personal and exceptional care could not be matched in a larger centre. She decided to consult with her oncologist via video conference and while these were often rescheduled, it did save her the expense of traveling to St. John’s. Emily declined a “48-hour chemo”, an intense regimen that she could only receive in St. John’s. The expense of traveling to St. John’s on a regular basis, plus accommodations and meals, were well outside the means of a retired kindergarten teacher and widow, especially one who had already spent $5,000 on cancer-related travel. In addition, Emily did not want to be away from home for an extended period and had to rely upon friends in St. John’s to care for her. Emily said that “although people were good to me… I felt like I was a burden because I was imposing on my family friends.”
Because she “just wanted to be home”, Emily decided to stay in Happy Valley-Goose Bay and receive Palliative Chemotherapy. “If I had a place of my own away from home like Daffodil Place, I would have recovered sooner,” Emily said. “All you need is an exercise room, meals and someone to check in on you every now and then, just to go to your room and see if you are OK.”
Emily Bird passed away at her home on March 20, 2007.
