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Conversations With My Mom: A Childhood Cancer Survivor’s Guide to Awkward Health Talks

Posted on April 23, 2025 by Jamie Irvine
According to his mom, Jamie is the one on the left.

“Mom, why doesn’t that man have any hair?”
“Can I have a chair with wheel like that lady?”

Ah…the unfiltered curiosity of children. My twin brother and I were masters of asking deeply personal, highly inappropriate questions at the absolute worst times. Our poor mother was (and still is) my go-to person for pretty much everything. Like many parents, I am sure she sometimes dreaded fielding our loud and awkward inquiries in public places, but she always handled it with patience (and the occasional deep sigh).

Fast forward to our teenage years, my mother probably braced herself for awkward questions about puberty, sex or some horrifying combination of the two. But life threw a different kind of curveball: at age 11, I was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Suddenly, my questions weren’t just embarrassing—they were existential.

“Why is this happening to me?”
“Am I going to die?”

While she did not always have a definitive answer, she answered truthfully and the best she could. And now, more than 20 years post-treatment, I still go to her first when I have a health question.

Which led to the semen sample incident.

One particularly awkward situation came about after my oncologist suggested a fertility test to check if my cancer treatment had affected my ability to have children. Simple enough, right? So, I went to a lab and inquired about giving a semen sample. What follows is the conversation I had on the phone with my mother while walking home (yes, on a busy public street).

Me: Hey, so I went to the lab today about that fertility test. The lady was very clear that I could not provide the sample there.

Mom: (sighs) Jamie, I really don’t need to hear this. (pause) Wait, so they don’t even give you a private room?

Me: Apparently not! Also, I have to abstain for a few days beforehand, and the sample has to be delivered within a specific time frame.

Mom: But you don’t have a car and you won’t make it on time by bus! Oh no. (pause) Can’t they just do it another way? Like, stick a big needle in there?

Me: I really hope not.

Mom: I really don’t need to hear about this… (pause) Anyway, have I told you about my mammograms?

Me: Yes. Repeatedly.

Fertility: The Question No One Wants to Ask
One of the hardest parts of surviving childhood cancer is dealing with the long-term effects—many of which don’t show up until years later. Fertility is a big one. It wasn’t on my 11-year-old mind, but fast forward a couple of decades, and suddenly, it’s a very real concern.

For some childhood cancer survivors, fertility can feel like an unanswered question lurking in the background. The only way to find out is through awkward, slightly mortifying medical tests. It’s not always an easy subject to talk about, but it’s important. Whether you’re considering having kids, exploring options like sperm or egg freezing, or just trying to understand how treatment may have affected you, asking the question is the first step. And if those conversations feel too awkward to have with a doctor, well—there’s always your mom.


Jamie is a childhood cancer survivor who takes pride in his role as Communications Assistant at POGO. His creativity and self-described “weirdness” is reflected in his writing and his presentations at POGO staff meetings. Reading and playing video games would be his well-developed hobbies if only his beloved cat, Lupin, would just give him some alone time.

Posted in Transitions | Tagged fertility, Jamie Irvine, late effects, POGO AfterCare Clinics, Survivor, survivorship, transition

Childhood Cancer is a Lifelong Journey

Posted on September 17, 2024 by admin

Appearing in Metroland publications, September 17, 2024

While more kids are being diagnosed with cancer, more are surviving. Ontario’s childhood cancer survival rate is now 85 per cent — up from about 70 per cent in the mid-1980s. And while surviving cancer is certainly the goal, the impacts of childhood cancer can last a lifetime.

Richard Lautens Toronto Star file photo


By Lauren Ettin and Dr. David Hodgson

Lauren Ettin is the chief executive officer of the Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario. Dr. David Hodgson  is the medical director and chair in childhood cancer control for the Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario, a radiation oncologist and clinician scientist at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, and associate staff at The Hospital for Sick Children.

Life for the Pugliese family changed forever when six-year-old Giacomo was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. For three years, they made countless trips to McMaster Children’s Hospital, watching their once-energetic little boy endure the challenges of cancer treatment, with interruptions to school and play dates.

Now 17, Giacomo’s treatment is behind him, but he is monitored regularly at the Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario (POGO) AfterCare Clinic at McMaster Children’s Hospital for secondary cancers and heart issues — risks from his cancer and treatment. The clinic staff also emphasize the importance of a healthy, active lifestyle. His family is reassured that Giacomo will receive this crucial care for the rest of his life.

POGO’s network of clinics across Ontario play a vital role in the ongoing care of childhood cancer survivors, becoming an essential part of their lifelong health journey.

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, a time to spotlight stories like Giacomo’s, which are increasingly common in Ontario.

While more kids are being diagnosed with cancer, more are surviving. Ontario’s childhood cancer survival rate is now 85 per cent — up from about 70 per cent in the mid-1980s. This is thanks to decades of clinical innovation, improvements in diagnostics and treatments, and approaches to addressing some of the related side effects.

While surviving cancer is certainly the goal, it is not where the journey ends. The impacts of childhood cancer can last a lifetime.

Childhood cancers are distinct from adult cancers in significant ways. For one thing, these cancers don’t result from lifestyle or diet. They come suddenly — and some are more likely to strike at a specific age. Typically, childhood cancers require intensive treatments, at major teaching hospitals, with highly specialized protocols. Consequently, care teams may be larger and include parents and caregivers as key decision makers.

A childhood cancer diagnosis impacts the whole family. One parent is often forced to give up work to manage the daily practicalities of their child’s care. Often, extensive travel or temporary relocation is required, uprooting families for months or sometimes years. This disruption reverberates, impacting extended family members, friends, teachers, classmates, work colleagues and communities.

Childhood cancers strike during a critical phase of development, when children and adolescents are marking key physical, mental and social milestones. As a result, two of every three survivors are at increased risk of at least one long-term side effect resulting from their cancer or its treatment, including heart disease, second cancers and cognitive challenges.

To address the unique complexities, ripple effects and long-term impacts of childhood cancer, POGO and its partners have built a system that provides wraparound care and support for children and families at every stage of the journey. Considered among the best in the world, Ontario’s childhood cancer system goes beyond diagnosis and treatment. Families are paired with nurses who help navigate the transition from hospital to home, and they can also access mental health services, financial supports, and programs that help survivors thrive into adulthood.

During Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, it’s important to recognize the tremendous progress made in childhood cancer care. But there is more we can do to ensure kids not only survive, but thrive.

It is vital that children with cancer and their families have access to the best evidence-based treatments and supports, closer to home. This requires strong, ongoing collaboration between care teams, hospitals, nonprofits, government, regulatory bodies, industry and others.

Over the past decade, we have also seen an increasing need for mental health services, a need that is urgently felt among the many who are impacted by a childhood cancer diagnosis. These priorities and others will be key components of Ontario’s Childhood Cancer Care Plan 2024-2029, a road map developed by POGO and its partners to be published later this month.

Ontario must continue strengthening its world-class childhood cancer system so that survivors like Giacomo can count on having the treatments, resources and supports they need today — and for life.

Posted in In the News | Tagged CCAM, CEO, Chief Executive Officer, childhood cancer awareness month, Childhood Cancer Survivor, Medical Director, patient care, Survivor Care, survivorship

Creative Corner with Ramjot

Posted on January 1, 2024 by Jamie Irvine

Growth

When I first started creating this sculpture, it was an absolute mess. The structure and stability of the tree were a challenge to figure out but slowly it all started coming together. It was like putting the pieces together in a puzzle. I didn’t fully understand why I created a tree until I started sculpting every little curve or indent, gluing on the leaves and adding the finishing touches. The  tree symbolized my growth. Just like me, the tree encountered many obstacles when it was being sculpted. It took hours, days, weeks to finish and at some point, I felt like giving up on it. The tree expressed me. It started wonky but the more time and effort I dedicated to it, the stronger it got. Similarly, when I was recovering from my cancer treatment, it was hard to fit in with my peers at school and integrate into my new reality. But as the years went on and I got out of my comfort zone, I grew to be the best version of myself. My piece, Growth, shows the journey of my life and how I’ve grown into the person I am today.

Check out other Creative Corner works done by Dorian and Xander

Posted in Transitions | Tagged childhood cancer survivors, survivorship

Childhood Cancer Survivors Share How Oncology Professionals Helped Shape Their Lives

Posted on November 29, 2023 by Paula Lacsena


POGO recruited five individuals whose lives have been impacted by a childhood cancer diagnosis and are now working in the field of pediatric oncology in different capacities, to work with Mike Lang, an expert in digital storytelling facilitation. Digital storytelling guides participants to use personal images and videos, voiceover narration, music, and various video-editing techniques to bring the meaningful moments of their life to the screen.

These stories, which premiered at the 2023 POGO Symposium in November, shed light on how the experience of having cancer as a young person, and the interactions with oncology professionals along the way, can shape a person’s life profoundly. It is POGO’s hope that everyone who engages with these stories will learn something new about the childhood cancer experience, by seeing it through the eyes of survivors.

Alexx’s Story

Alexx was diagnosed with acute myeloblastic leukemia as a child.

Today, she is a child life specialist, using her firsthand experience as a childhood cancer survivor to advocate for children, youth, fellow survivors and their families with various diagnoses.

Lindsay’s Story

Lindsay was diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma as a child.

Today, she is a pediatric oncology nurse, drawing from her personal journey as a childhood cancer survivor to care for children and youth with cancer.

Noor’s Story

Noor had the misfortune of navigating both a cancer diagnosis and virtual school during the COVID-19 pandemic. Inspired by the oncology professionals who cared for her during treatment, she is now studying to become a nurse at Toronto Metropolitan University.

Eugene’s Story

Dr. Eugene Chang was a young medical student when he was diagnosed with Leukemia. His experiences as a patient helped him identify a gap in the system, which he has sought to fill since becoming Canada’s first physiatrist specializing in rehabilitation for cancer patients.

Kirsten’s Story

Kirsten is a two-time childhood cancer survivor and a young adult cancer survivor.

A strong advocate for childhood cancer and young adult cancer survivors, she now works as POGO’s Program Coordinator for clinical and support programs.

Last updated: June 2024

Related Content

Inspiring Stories
2022 POGO Multidisciplinary Symposium on Childhood Cancer features patient and family stories
Reflections on the 2022 POGO Symposium by Dr. Adam Fleming


Posted in In the News | Tagged childhood cancer survivors, digital stories, POGO Symposium, survivorship, Symposium 2023

Celebrating Down Syndrome Awareness Day and Darwin

Posted on March 21, 2023 by Jamie Irvine

Darwin and his mom aka “The Boss”

Darwin recently turned 21, graduated high school, rang the end of treatment bell at CHEO and has been accepted into an Academic Assistance for Adults with Developmental Disabilities (AAADD) college program.

What was most exciting about ringing the bell?
I loved seeing all my favourite people from high school virtually on Google Meet. I saw Ms. Russett, and Ms. Coe, and the ladies in the office. All my favourite nurses came too. They helped me learn to count “1-2-3” before I had a needle!

.

What are you most looking forward too now that you are 21?
I want to learn how to use a debit card and get a job where I can wear a nametag and a vest. I want to work at Walmart at cash register #7 and at the Apple store.

What will you do in your C.I.C.E. college program?
I will learn to take the bus with my phone, using Google maps.  I want to learn about money math. At college I will see my friends and they have nice lockers.

Any shout outs to friends & family?
Thank you to my mom, she’s The Boss and always came to CHEO with me. The staff on 4 North were awesome. The Fire Safety Officer, Richard, came to teach me the rules about fire safety. I also did a FaceTime with Liam from the Ottawa Fire Dept. about river safety. I loved seeing my CHEO teacher, Ms. Nancy. She’s awesome and I learned to use assistive technology. Every day I wrote a page in my book with Book Creator.

Posted in In the News | Tagged childhood cancer survivors, survivorship

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