Nova Scotia’s Minister of Health is coming to Yarmouth next week.
Randy Delorey will meet with representatives of the Western Nova Scotia Cancer Support Network and the Yarmouth Hospital Foundation.
The meeting is scheduled for Thursday.
The network’s key mandate is to secure radiation treatment at the Yarmouth Regional Hospital.
Radiation therapy is only available in Halifax and Cape Breton.
Derek Lesser, the founder of the cancer network, says he was thrilled when he received news of the meeting.
“I was contacted by Zach Churchill towards the end of last week and he had arranged a meeting with the health minister. That was really exciting news and I guess something I really wasn’t expecting to happen that quick. I know it’s pretty difficult sometimes to get those meetings but Zach’s been working hard to try and arrange that.”
The Western Nova Scotia Cancer Support Network has now surpassed 20,000 members.
People from the South Shore Around to the Valley have joined the network’s rallying cry to the province to have a radiation treatment at the Yarmouth Regional Hospital.
Lesser says they have now branched out and created sub-groups.
“The concept of the site (the Western Nova Scotia Cancer Support Network can be found on Facebook) is also support, so we’ve started creating sub-groups for patients with lung cancer, brain cancer, breast cancer etc. , care givers and options like financing..where you can get some money for gas and lodging and that type of thing. They are all closed groups, so they’re private discussions.”
Lesser says they will be presenting petitions to Minister Delorey at Thursday’s meeting.
