WeyStrong brings cancer support closer to women in Weyburn

When Lisa Vick underwent breast cancer treatment, she wondered how many other women were feeling anxious and lost between hospital appointments.

She wanted to reach out to others navigating a cancer diagnosis but found few support groups meeting regularly in Weyburn.

So, Vick helped create the non-profit WeyStrong, a cancer support group closer to home for women in southeast Saskatchewan. It helps those who have had a cancer diagnosis at any point in their life.

Read more:

• Saskatoon cancer patient fears missing appointments amid citywide construction
• Thousands of CUPE health workers vote in favour of job action
• Regina Flying Club seeks answers after deadly Sask. plane crash

“I kind of made a little promise to myself that once I was healthy and past the worst part of the diagnosis and treatment, that I was going to form a group that would help women in Weyburn and surrounding communities navigate the system,” she said.

Lisa Vick speaks at a WeyStrong event. (Lisa Vick/Submitted)

According to Vick, the group hosts retreats and events with activities and speakers to help provide relief and comfort for anyone who has gotten treatment for cancer.

“We don’t have the answers, and we can’t speed up the medical process, but we can share our experiences,” she said. “Just being in a room filled with women who had, at some point, heard that they had been diagnosed with cancer was comforting in itself.”

Some of WeyStrong’s fundraisers raise money for medical equipment in the new Weyburn Hospital oncology unit.

How it started

Vick attended a cancer support retreat organized by a group from Regina and the Weyburn oncology nurse in the fall of 2023.

She told the oncology nurse she wanted to see more regular meetings in Weyburn.

“I said ‘I want to do this,’” Vick recalled. “‘I want to get the sponsorship and gather a group, and I want to help you do this again.’ Her and I started that process.”

Vick experienced her own struggles with her health-care system when she found a lump in her breast in September of 2023.

It took over five months for Vick to be diagnosed with cancer, including a trip to Calgary to get a biopsy, due to long wait times in Saskatchewan.

“When I was waiting for the biopsy and finding a surgeon … it was stressful because you just don’t know when that’s going to happen,” she said. “Not knowing was probably the worst part, and the waiting in between appointments.”

Deana Peterson runs the WeyStrong kiosk at an event. (Deana Peterson/Submitted)

Deana Peterson, a member of WeyStrong, said the group gave her a support system that helped her feel less alone after she was diagnosed with breast cancer in April of 2023.

“Sometimes support isn’t about having the perfect answer,” she said. “Sometimes it’s simply just being able to sit with someone who understands.”

Peterson said she felt overwhelmed and scared when she first received her diagnosis.

She said she came into an event knowing nobody and walked away with new friends.

“We shouldn’t have to live in a major centre to have access to the emotional support or the education and connection,” Peterson said. “I just really feel that WeyStrong brings that support closer to home.”

If WeyStrong offers anyone comfort on their cancer journey, Vick sees that as a success.

“It’s a tiny little thing that we’re able to do for women,” she said, “but it makes a huge difference.”