Officially, June 4th was National Cancer Survivor’s Day 2012 but different organizations host their own celebrations on different days annually throughout the month of June.
Surviving & Thrivnig: celebrating survivor stories through artistic expression was Princess Margaret’s National Cancer Survivor’s Day, held on June 11th 2012. It was also the 1st annual memorial for the late Dr Robert Buckman, medical oncologist and an inspiration to cancer Survivors and their families at Princess Margaret and around the world. He passed away on October 9th, 2011.
In honour of Dr Buckman, we held a 2 hour memorial that was filled with humour and touching stories of Survivorship.
You can watch the service here: Surviving & Thriving: In memory of Dr Robert Buckman
I cried and laughed and cried and laughed. The panelists were amazing speakers and took you on an emotional ride for the 2 hours. After the panelists, there were a series of workshops offered to patients, their family members and visitors by registration only. The event was so perfectly organized and executed.
One of my favorite moments was the mural. All who attended were welcomed to make their mark on an open canvas. The inspiration was amazing:
The event left all those who attended, including the staff who knew (and didn’t know) Dr Buckman, very humbled and happy toleave their mark.
It was, truly, a remarkable event.