By: Carly Bongard 

Barb Oehl’s story began when she was admitted to Humber River Health (Humber) in March of 2016. After experiencing unusual symptoms, Barb’s physician ordered a colonoscopy, where she discovered she had cancer. Three days later, Barb received her emergency ileostomy surgery, a procedure where an opening (stoma) is created in the abdomen to divert waste from the small intestine. 

From that point, Barb’s care plan became quite intensive, involving roughly ten to twelve rounds of chemotherapy, and an additional ten rounds of IV chemotherapy. 

Navigating through her diagnosis was a difficult journey, but now, nine years later, Barb is cancer-free.  

Barb continues to reflect on the incredible role both the clinical and non-clinical staff at Humber played in her healing journey. “The wonderful housekeepers, porters, food services team – all the support teams were all so positive, which made a real difference,” explains Barb. She also continues to extend her appreciation to her medical oncologist, Dr. Sabrina Allegro, who she remains in contact with today. 

For over two years now, Barb has been a member of Humber’s Patient and Family Advisory Council (PFAC), using her experience to offer guidance and support to current patients, families, and the organization. She has found the opportunity to be deeply meaningful and rewarding. 

For individuals navigating through their own health or cancer journey, Barb shares a message of resilience and hope. “You have to stay positive. There is a lot of information and support available to you that makes the journey much easier,” she explains. “Especially when you’re receiving real information from knowledgeable and compassionate experts, as opposed to Dr. Google – a mistake that I had made.” 

Barb reminds us that healing is not only about treatment, but about the people who walk beside us through the journey.