A well-known Terrace resident needs medical treatments down south and her sister is appealing to the community for financial assistance.
City councillor Stacey Tyers, who has worked as a poverty law advocate, executive director of the Terrace Anti-Poverty Society and recently was chosen as a member of the province’s Advisory Forum on Poverty Reduction, was diagnosed with cervical cancer in July and was scheduled to start six weeks of chemotherapy and radiation in Vancouver Nov. 29.
While there, she will need to pay for accommodations, medical prescriptions and other necessities.
Originally, doctors had planned for surgery back in October and Tyers thought she would have surgery and come home with only people closest to her and council knowing about it.
“When it was determined surgery would not be the option and I’d need to be away for six weeks, I decided to go public, because I knew I’d be away, missing events, meetings, etc.,” said Tyers.
“I luckily was diagnosed at stage 1 cervical cancer with a fairly large tumour for being stage 1. Women really need to get their regular pap tests.”
Tyers said she has already flown down south four times and other times has been able to attach appointments to other things.
Kim Pollard, her sister, started a youcaring.com page to help raise money with a goal of $10,000.
As of Nov. 27, $6,580 had been raised by 67 donors.
On the page, Pollard explains, “Many of you reading this page have known Stacey for a long time and perhaps you have a friendship with her that goes back years. Others might know Stacey through work, or perhaps you know her from the Terrace community, as someone who has worked hard to help others, regardless of background, regardless of walk of life, ethnicity or sexual orientation. She uses her own life experiences to lift others up and champions the rights of those less fortunate as she fights for housing, jobs, income and representation.
“She rarely asks for help, herself. She prides herself on her independence and also her privacy and she rarely complains about how she is feeling, even to those closest to her.
“As well, because she is no longer employed full-time, she currently has no extended medical benefits and so, has no coverage for medication and other expenses related to her treatment.
To donate, offer words of support or both, go to youcaring.com and the page called Help Stacey Tyers beat her battle with cancer.