In the spring of 2022, renowned Canadian media personality and fashion icon Jeanne Beker was diagnosed with breast cancer following a routine mammogram. “Your whole world just explodes,” she said. “I almost believed that they’d made some kind of mistake…I had just turned 70 and I felt very empowered—the world was my oyster.”
Luckily, she was referred to The Princess Margaret where she quickly began an aggressive treatment plan. In true Jeanne fashion, she embraced the experience with grace, style and an unwavering positive attitude. “That first day when I walked through the doors, I thought: this is going to be my temple of healing,” she said. “I just knew that I was in the best place in the best hands.”
Over the next year she underwent 12 rounds of chemotherapy followed by radiation and surgery, but her spirit never wavered. “You have to strive to live in the light,” she said. “Never give up, there is always hope.”
She bravely shared her experience on Instagram, using her platform to raise awareness and inspire hope in others facing the disease. “Nobody wants to feel that they’re in this alone,” she said. “The most precious gift that we can give one another is our own personal story.”
In June of 2023, Jeanne rang The Princess Margaret Bravery Bell, celebrating the end of her treatment and a clean bill of health. “I’ve gleaned so much positivity from my cancer journey and from the incredible care I received at The Princess Margaret,” she said. “The experience made me a bigger, better, stronger, bolder, braver person.”
Thanks to fundraising programs like The Princess Margaret Cottage Lottery, more patients like Jeanne are thriving after a cancer diagnosis. “When you buy a lottery ticket, you’re helping to fund life-saving cancer research and whether you win the lottery or not, you’re putting your money towards something so positive,” said Jeanne. “We can all be part of the solution together. I really do believe that.”