Guest Blog: “Dad would be so proud!” – PART I

Guest Blog 5 – PART I

Darrell Peddle, P.Eng.

February, 2024, Newfoundland and Labrador

For Part II please see here:

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1. Can you tell us about yourself?

My name is Darrell Peddle, and I was born and raised in Shearstown NL, presently living in Bay Roberts with my wife Karen of 28 years. We have 2 daughters, who are both actively studying at MUN. I am a registered Professional Engineer, and have worked most of my career in natural resources development.

Family is my top priority, and I am quite proud of how close my family is, both on my side and Karen’s. When my dad, Donald Peddle Sr., was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2018, it was our close family that triggered my involvement with his treatment, his journey, his fight, and ultimately his passing in July of 2022.

His journey continues as my family navigates life with out him, and also through my involvement with Public Interest Group on Cancer Research.

My ultimate goal now is for my dad’s journey to help others.

2. What are your motivations in doing this guest blog today? How are you connected to cancer?

My motivation in contributing today is to continue my family’s cancer journey which began in 2018, fighting along side my dad and my family. I have since become an advocate for anyone else that may benefit from our journey.

My connection to cancer arrived August 2018 when my dad was diagnosed, and like many in my family, shocked us all.

Cancer was not part of our lives. I believed that it could never impact us. This is clearly the first and most important lesson I have personally learned, and others should learn as well.

If I were to make only one statement today, it would be for every person to join in on cancer awareness, as it impacts us all. We all need to be aware, and learn from others experiences, as it could have a lasting impact on how we all deal with cancer, and the steps we take in treatment.

So, how am I connected to cancer? I’d have to say through a variety of sources;

1.) Lived experiences clearly is the primary connection to cancer, since without my father’s diagnosis and journey, cancer would have remained a disease that only others had to live with. My dad was my superhero, and I want for him to be that for others.

2.) Although I am not working in healthcare, I am connected through my involvement in obtaining care outside what was seemingly available by way of traditional means. This includes integrative oncology /complementary care which complimented his traditional treatment, and immunotherapy which was obtained in the US.

3.) I am connected to cancer via research, as my dad was accepted in a clinical trial in the US, which did have favorable results, and also led to him receiving immunotherapy otherwise not available to him in NL.

4.) All events leading up to today has resulted in my advocacy in cancer awareness, treatments, and research. All I want now is for my dad’s journey to have a positive impact on families who continue to fight.

No one wants to be involved with this disease, least of all me. But as stated, this is a lesson we all need to learn. We are all affected by cancer, and we all need to work together to fight this disease.

I am so grateful to be given this opportunity to reach others and to share my story. I am committed to continuing my advocacy, and to speak about cancer, in hopes that we can enhance treatment options, promote a culture of cancer prevention, improve screening, and work towards ensuring early detection for everyone.

I believe that my dad’s fight already has had a positive impact, and that is with me – Since his diagnosis, I myself have been screened via colonoscopy procedures, where there has been indication of polyp growth followed by extraction. He may have already saved my life with early detection!

3. In your opinion, what cancer-related issue is most likely to be problematic in the years ahead in NL?

Accessible healthcare seems to be an increasing issue in NL, and will likely be problematic in years to come.

The reason for this in my opinion is early detection, which is critical in improve outcomes. In the absence of accessible healthcare, minor symptoms can go undiagnosed, leading to a situation where cancer can progress beyond a stage where it is treatable.

I believe this was the case with my dad, although he did have access to healthcare, but his symptoms were not properly investigated thus leading to his cancer progressing, and sadly resulting in his passing in July 2022.

So, not only the access to healthcare, but access to the right care!

This brings me to a tangent issue in NL healthcare, and that is how traditional treatment meshes with complementary care options. I have learned that in other parts of the country, and other parts of the world, it is recognized that integrative care and immunotherapies can work in harmony with traditional medicine in an effort achieve the best possible outcome for patients.

We do not have a cure, but we should use all available options, even if it’s to maintain an acceptable level of health and well-being while receiving invasive cancer treatment. This also branches off to the potential for financial struggles where additional treatment options come at a high cost. My dad was receiving treatment in Billings Montana, US, which was fortunately without cost under the clinical trial that he was a participant in. That said though, dad’s diagnosis and treatment resulted in mom leaving her job earlier than expected, and without any planning.

Information is so critical. We need to arm everyone with as much information as possible to provide the best chance for survival and success.

4. What do you think that can improve patient, family, and community experience with cancer in NL?

I strongly believe that the H. Bliss Murphy Cancer Center provides fantastic support to cancer patients and their families. The level of care and compassion in my opinion, would be very difficult, and likely impossible to improve upon.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the oncologists and supporting doctors, nurses, and staff, for the care and love they all showed my dad and mom during our cancer journey.

The way in which we can improve the experience for patients, families, and communities who live with cancer, or who is attempting to adjust after cancer, would be access to information.

I believe that it’s not a question of whether residents on NL would be granted access, more so the level of public awareness and promotion of what’s available and the ease of access.

Making calls, visiting hospitals, waiting for seemingly endless time to see doctors, is simply not good enough. The process needs to be easy, accessible, and abundant. This is where I would have to step aside and allow those better suited to devise programs that would address these issues, since my opinion as a 52-year-old engineer, versus that of my 78-year-old mother living alone, or my daughters who are in their 20’s, all would have a difference of opinion.

Whether it’s an app complete with information, a phone number that somehow don’t have you on hold forever (and you get to speak directly with a healthcare professional), or a monthly newsletter in everyone’s mailbox, information needs to accessible to all.

For my mom, who would prefer something in her mailbox, has the luxury of having a lot of family that can access all types of information, and knows where to look for it. My fear is for those who truly are alone.

Those left alone after the passing of a spouse, or still battling cancer with limited family support. These are the people we need to focus on, and assume that everyone has the same limitations.

It would be easy for me to assume that a loved one can download an app, gather information off a website, or call a fellow colleague in healthcare, but I have learned that the opposite is true.

Most struggle, so we need to find a way to help those who get hit with this illness, can feel that they are not alone. That they have access to information quickly, and know who to call if more is needed.

This to me is what we need to improve upon, and will have a cascading effect of everything we need to do as a province to help our residents deal with this disease.

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank my wife and daughters for their input, suggestions, and editing my narrative. Dad would be so proud!

PART II will follow soon – stay tuned!

Disclaimer: Guest blogs are the purposes of education and/or sharing perspectives. The information shared by bloggers should not be interpreted as medical advice. All health information should be discussed with your health care provider. The website owners are not responsible for the contents of the guest blog posts.

This guest blog is a part of a public – scientist collaborative project led by the Public Interest Group on Cancer Research in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. For further information, please see here: mun.yaffle.ca/projects/15039.