Megan’s Story: A Journey Through the Healthcare System

Megan Sewell, a 54-year-old single mother from Quebec, was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer in January 2016. Her journey through the healthcare system was fraught by wait times and barriers to getting the timely, appropriate care she needed, leading to a late-stage diagnosis.

One of the most significant barriers for Megan was the lack of access to a family doctor. At just 45 years old, she had been on a waiting list to get connected with a family doctor for over five years. She believes that having a family doctor who was aware of her family’s history of breast cancer, could have led to earlier detection of her own breast cancer. Ironically, she received a letter inviting her for a mammogram five years after her diagnosis.

In the early stages of her illness, she visited multiple walk-in clinics where her concerns were repeatedly brushed aside. She was told by the walk-in clinic that if she wanted to seek further medical attention in a more timely manner, she would need visit a private clinic. It was there, confronting the image of her mammogram displayed on a screen, that she learned she had a very aggressive form of cancer.

Even after her diagnosis, Megan continued to face challenges accessing timely treatment. The hospital closest to her home had a month-long wait just for a consultation with an oncologist. With nowhere to turn, Megan visited a private clinic. Megan believes it is unacceptable that so many people in Canada living with cancer are seeing their condition worsen as they wait on long wait lists for care. Every person should have timely access to publicly funded care and treatment.   

This experience fueled her passion for advocacy, leading her to work with organizations like the Canadian Cancer Society (CCS) and the Health e-Matters advocacy program, mentoring students at McGill, and sharing her story.

Megan’s message to policymakers is urgent and clear: No one should be dismissed when they voice health concerns. Every single person in Canada living with cancer must have access to timely care and treatment including improved access to primary care. She emphasizes that cancer does not discriminate by age and that timely access to testing and diagnosis is crucial. Her own experience demonstrates how economic disparities can dictate access to life-saving care.

Megan’s story is a powerful reminder of the importance of patient advocacy, accessible primary health care, and the need for a system that listens and supports patients.  She remains committed to using her experience to help others and drive meaningful change within the healthcare system.

There are far too many similar stories as people in Canada are waiting to be a priority. Cancer Action Now is working to bring forward challenges experiences by people in Canada living with cancer in accessing timely, high-quality cancer care, and calling on policy makers to make cancer care a priority.

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