Nordion CEO rings victory bell over cancer.
Steve West rings the victory bell at the Ottawa Hospital Cancer Centre on Jan. 20 marking his final chemotherapy treatment. West is the executive officer of Nordion, a company that develops and provides cancer treatment therapy.
Eddie Rwema
Cancer has always been a cause so close to him but never had he thought he would one day be a patient himself.
For five months, Steve West, chief executive officer of Nordion, a company that develops and provides cancer treatment therapy quietly fought cancer and received treatment from the cancer centre he helped raise money to build.
In September, he was diagnosed with non-Hodkin’s Lymphoma – a type of cancer that affects the body’s immune system.
News of his illness was never made public until Jan. 20 the day his treatment ceased, and minutes before he rung the ceremonial ‘victory bell’ in the Chemotherapy Unit of the Ottawa Hospital Cancer Centre.
“He is in a very good shape and has remained physically active and healthy mentally and I am very pleased for him and his family,” said Dr. Karim Abou-Nassar who followed West as he underwent chemotherapy.
“He has shown a tremendous amount of courage, tremendous amount of strength and his attitude has been absolutely wonderful throughout this treatment.”
Talking about his personal struggle, West described the experience as traumatic but credited the hospital for his speedy recovery.
“When you come here you realize you are not alone. You are treated with immense respect, dignity and care” he said.
He said it was very difficult at the beginning, but things got better as days went by.
West attributes his work and sports training regimen – which included cycling in Ride the Rideau for getting him through his cancer diagnosis and treatment.
“Exercising brings you focus, helps you emotionally and obviously helps your fitness level,” he said.
West was able to maintain a training schedule that kept him strong enough to overcome his challenge.
Besides his family and the company executive team, nobody else recognized he had cancer.
“Nobody really noticed that anything was going on,” said West.
His wife Eunice said the final treatment was a major relief to the family.
“Today is a big day for our family. It is the end of a journey that started five months ago,” said Eunice.
She said it was a journey that was full of ups and downs that they don’t wish for anybody.
The news about his husband’s cancer came as a shocker to the family just days before their planned trip to German to visit their son and West’s mother in England.
“All of a sudden our world turned upside down when something unplanned came up.
It was shocking at first and I thought I was just dreaming and I just wanted to wake up from this nightmare. Unfortunately it wasn’t a dream. It was for real,” said Eunice.
“We can’t believe we have reached the end of this journey.”
A cancer crusader West highlighted the importance of supporting cancer care.
“As a cancer survivor I think it is very important,” he said.
The experience has motivated him even more to find money for more research.
He intends on captaining his own team for the September Ride the Rideau event and he hopes to raise $35,000.
“We are trying to raise $70,000 this year for Ride the Rideau and we encouraging people to get on their bikes and raise money because all that money goes to the Ottawa Hospital research Institute,” said West.