In January of 2015 Teri Thrun’s son, Erik Revoy was diagnosed with leukemia and passed away nine months later.
“Part of our story was the racism that we faced,” said Thrun.
Revoy was 21-years-old when he was diagnosed. She says he was in a lot of the pain and was not taken seriously at Indian Head Union Hospital.
“It was sort of intuited that he was young and looking for drugs,” said Thrun. “They said there was a lot of reserves around, and so the assumption was he was one of ‘those people,’ as it was put to us.”
“We had to fight for him to get diagnosed, then we had to fight for him to get the proper treatments.”
Because of the treatment they experienced from staff, Thrun later took the director of the hospital to mediation.
She is one of a handful of caregivers and survivors who shared their story to help other Métis patients diagnosed with cancer.
The Métis –Nation Saskatchewan (MN-S) Health Department has engaged with Métis citizens and their families to learn and share their cancer journeys. Métis citizens diagnosed with cancer will be able to pick up the book and corresponding journal.
“Métis citizens who are experiencing cancer would be able to relate to some of the personal stories shared in the guidebook,” said Marg Friesen, MN-S health minister. “It takes them through a process that may be particularly foreign to them when they have been diagnosed with cancer.”
The Saskatchewan Cancer Agency says the guidebook and journal are all about health equity.
“We’re providing culturally sensitive care, removing disparities that we know exist for indigenous people in Saskatchewan,” said Deb Bulych, president of the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency. “Equity in terms of access; in terms of removing any gaps and barriers to care.”
Efforts that will hopefully make a mother like Thrun’s experience easier if their child is diagnosed with cancer. She wants to see more indigenous people working in the healthcare system.
“To have people in the healthcare system that look like us. That don’t look like what the hospital thinks everyone should look like,” said Thrun. “When that system is not listening to you because you don’t look like them, that’s a problem.”
In total 11 survivors, three caregivers and one elder shared their story to help make the guidebook. Patients can pick up copies through their oncology departments, their oncologists, and the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency.
