A Letter from Adam

It is an honour and a blessing to be able to write this letter today. My name is Adam Green and I am a 20 year old commerce student at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. I have been asked to share my story with you.

I grew up just outside of Hamilton in a sleepy farming village called Millgrove. I was a very active young man playing such sports as hockey, baseball, golf and tennis. In the summer of 1995, I developed a shortness of breath while playing baseball and later that year, I also developed a persistent cough which worsened daily. I consulted my family doctor who, on a hunch, referred me to a respirologist at St. Joseph’s Hospital. I was admitted to the hospital and after a series of tests it was concluded that I had a form of cancer in my left lung.

The shock and confusion that comes with a life-threatening diagnosis cannot be expressed in words. A flood of emotions overtook me ranging from anger to helplessness. I didn’t know much about cancer at the time. In fact the only story I knew of was that of Terry Fox, and I assumed that because it was the same illness, I too would fall victim to cancer.

The following weeks proved to be the hardest of my life. I was transferred to the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto and placed under the care of my modern-day hero, Dr. Mark Greenberg. Together with his nurse, Pat Stanland, I spent three weeks in the hospital finalizing my exact diagnosis. It was concluded that I had large cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma located in the upper left lobe of my lung. There were two cancerous lymph nodes crushing my bronchial tube, which accounted for my shortness of breath. The cough was a result of pneumonia which had surrounded my lymph nodes. My medical team concluded that chemotherapy was the best course of action for survival, and I began a year-long test of will.

My treatment had a rocky beginning to say the least. I suffered some dangerous side effects which brought me close to death around Christmas. Luckily, a very competent medical staff made some timely decisions and I recovered to continue with my chemotherapy. My treatment finished almost a year to the day after it started. I was a little heavier because of appetite "encouraging" steroids, a lot healthier, and had a new outlook on life.

Cancer taught me one of life’s most important lessons – courage. There were so many times I wanted to give up. I was tired of the CAT scans and the blood tests. I was tired of the sleepless nights and the nausea. However, I knew I had the unwavering support of my family and friends and the prayers of countless others guiding my health, and for their sake and mine, I was determined to survive.

My experience with cancer has brought so much to my life. I have the honour of being a Terry’s Team Member. I know if I was to have had cancer years earlier, I would not have been as fortunate as I am today. Researchers are so close to unlocking a cure for cancer thanks to the money raised over the past twenty years. As a survivor and fighter of this disease, I ask that we continue to be dedicated to finding a cure for cancer.

Adam Green

If you would like to learn more about becoming a Terry's Team Member, please contact us.