Darren Bessette
For those who don’t know me, I am a cancer survivor that has been diagnosed with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma for a second time. The first time was in 2016 and was in remission up until my recent diagnosis in March of 2019. I relapsed with the same cancer however it was much more difficult this time around. The first round of chemo therapy in 2019 did not have an impact on my cancer so a more aggressive approach was offered. A brand new living drug therapy called CAR-T Cell was proposed as a more permanent cure for my cancer and was being offered as a trial at the Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto, ON. Though this therapy has been approved by Health Canada, it is still not available to patients due to its high cost. I was lucky to get into this trial as my only other option would have been to go to a hospital in the US for this treatment. Here is a link to Wired Magazine’s website that explains CAR-T Cell therapy and how it came about.
I am also the founder of Laughter 4 Cancer foundation with the sole purpose of raising money in support of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada (LLSC). The primary fundraising activities center around a night of comedy at a local comedy club. It is through your donations that this research is able to produce working drugs to help in the fight to beat blood cancers. I am one who is benefiting from your generosity.