Lutrecia

From Prince George, BC to Vancouver

Lutrecia finds a way to get treatment against all odds with Hope Air

Lutrecia’s world came crashing down after her biopsy results confirmed that she had cancer. At 77, she was diagnosed with Lichen Sclerosus, which is a condition that usually affects elderly women.

Her doctor advised her to go to Vancouver for surgery and treatment for her condition, but this happened in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, meaning it would be challenging to go anywhere. It was even more complicated for Lutrecia because COVID-19 was risky to be exposed to, being elderly. Lutrecia felt like she hit a dead end and did not know what to do. “I didn’t know how I was going to get to Vancouver. Where am I going to stay? I was just frantic, and it didn’t seem like anybody had any answers for me. It’s a 9-hour drive to Vancouver and my husband has had eye surgeries so that would have been awkward”, says Lutrecia.

I think it’s important that people know that there is help out there when they’re in crisis.

The whole situation was nerve-wracking for Lutrecia and her husband. They were also financially strained, which made it even harder for them to plan a trip to Vancouver for treatment. “20 years ago, we would have been able to absorb that cost. But now, my husband’s also in his 70s so you know when you get older finances are tough. There would have been no way for me to drive or take the bus with my condition and we would have had to weigh it against paying for an air ticket versus paying to stay longer in Vancouver”, says Lutrecia.

For Lutrecia and her husband, dealing with all of this at once was like being dropped in the middle of the ocean with nowhere to swim. But with a stroke of luck, Lutrecia was introduced to Hope Air by a social worker who assisted her in getting in touch with Hope Air and making travel arrangements. Lutrecia and her husband traveled from Prince George, BC to Vancouver together for her treatment.

After a successful round of treatments, Lutrecia is making good progress with her treatment and is in the process of recovering. She still has to go to the clinic for regular check-ups to ensure that her cancer doesn’t relapse.

Hope Air’s mission is to help people like Lutrecia make travel arrangements so that they can focus on their treatment and get on the path to recovery. This is only made possible with the support of our donors. “I’m doing fine now, and I think it’s important that people know that there is help out there when they’re in crisis. It’s very important that people are aware of Hope Air.”