|
Edwin and Carlota Lee
 Carlota Lee’s ovarian cancer diagnosis came out of the blue. She and Edwin had been married 37 years and led an active and healthy lifestyle that included walking, cycling, tennis and regular workouts at the local gym. “You never think cancer will hit you. I never thought I would have cancer in my life,” Carlota says.
Carlota received treatment at the BC Cancer Agency in 2005 and again last year when the cancer returned. She participated in a clinical research trial at the Agency in 2007 that was studying a new treatment therapy for ovarian patients.
“I entrusted my life and my care to my doctors,” she says. After Carlota’s treatment, Edwin offered to donate some equipment to her doctor, Mark Heywood, to help him in his work. “We wanted to show our appreciation for all the doctors, nurses and staff at the BC Cancer Agency who took care of Carlota,” Edwin says.
“Instead, Dr. Heywood suggested I make a donation to the BC Cancer Foundation for ovarian cancer research and his nurse directed me to the Foundation office,” Edwin remembers. “At first we thought of giving a smaller amount. Then we heard how the Canadian tax laws had changed to remove the capital gains tax from donated shares. This meant we could give a larger gift. A gift of shares is a win-win for the donor and for the charity. It’s a great thing to do,” he says.
Edwin feels strongly about the need to support cancer research. “Maybe people think it’s not their responsibility, that they have paid their fair share through taxes. They don’t realize how expensive it is to provide the latest and the best treatment and how important the research is in finding new treatments. It’s like parents being asked to donate money for new computers at their children’s school.
Do you want your kids to be stuck with 10-year-old computers because of limited funding?” When Carlota and Edwin told their two grown children about their decision to donate shares to the BC Cancer Foundation, their daughter said, “That’s great! Your gift might pay for two more researchers’ salaries. And who knows? They may hit on something. They may discover something important.”
For information on giving a gift of stock or shares to the BC Cancer Foundation and to see stories of other survivors and donors, visit stocks4cancer.ca or call us at 604.877.6040.
|
