Chris and Shelley Moulton started Fernie Friends for Friends because they knew there wasn't enough support for people battling cancer in the Elk Valley
When Shelley was diagnosed with leukemia, they grew to be familiar with the struggles that many cancer patients face, including travelling long distances and incurring expenses while visiting hospitals in big cities.
"We just felt that the people who were going through cancer treatments weren't getting as much support at they needed," said Chris.
The Moulton's charity has helped over 120 families and raised over $250,000 for people battling cancer in the Elk Valley since they started it, and one of the largest demographics is women with breast cancer.
According to Canadian Cancer Society, breast cancer is the most common cancer that women face in Canada and is the second leading cause of death from cancer in women, with 84 women diagnosed every day.
Overall, cancer is responsible for 28.2 per cent of national deaths, with breast cancer accounting for one quarter of new cases in Canadian women and 13 per cent of female deaths last year. Breast Cancer Awareness Month is held in October every year.
Chris said local hospitals in East Kootenay are often not equipped to help people with breast cancer, so patients have to travel to get adequate care.
And with the Alberta government restricting B.C resident access to non-emergency health care, some people can no longer find care in Calgary, pushing them to travel further afield to Kelowna or Vancouver.
"They've got to travel. They've got to incur time and costs. It uproots their life. It's a huge disruption in their lives where they have to make a life changing commitment," he said.
"That's a big difference. You're talking seven hours instead of three hours," he added.
And while financial support is available through national charities, Chris said there's often red tape to navigate and funding is sometimes only given to people with lower incomes. The Moultons personally encountered this issue while Shelley was undergoing treatment and they started Friends for Friends to eliminate barriers.
"There's a lot of hoops and stipulations they have to meet in order to get help and we help minimize that as much as we can," he said.
"I know people in the valley that make more than we do, so what's going to happen to them when they're diagnosed?" he added.
The charity also offers support to family members of people with breast cancer.
"I've had to reach out to the husbands to make sure they're good," said Chris. "When your partner's going through stuff, sometimes you don't know how to react or what to do."
Chris said the charity will be bringing back more fundraiser events in the coming year, after a few years of less activity due to Covid. Previously, they've had considerable support from Fernie Brewing, Tim Hortons and the Fernie Rod and Gun Club.
"Everyone in our group has had some kind of involvement or battle with cancer in their families, so we all kind of have our own unique experiences, so if we can help in any way, being a supportive group or person, then we try everything we can," he said.
