Earlier this year, Ms. Chaffey was in Ottawa to help press the federal government to highlight the changes needed in order to help people treated for breast cancer or other illnesses cope with the economic demands.
“I’m a very vocal person,” said Ms. Chaffey, who is now cancer free after first being diagnosed in 2001. “Years ago, people got cancer, and they never ever talked about it. People are more open I guess these days, because I guess there’s so much of it.”
The reach of breast cancer is at the heart of a study released this year by the Canadian Breast Cancer Network (CBCN) – Breast Cancer: Economic Impact and Labour Force Re-Entry.
The study, drawn from 446 people taking an online survey, found 80 per cent of respondents were impact financially by the breast cancer diagnosis, with an average household income decline of $12,000.
This was because those being treated could not work, with the average duration of treatment lasting 38 weeks, with two-thirds of respondents needing 16 weeks or more off work.
Employment Insurance (EI) benefits for people in such circumstances last 15 weeks. To cover medical expenses and deal with the loss of income, 44 per cent of survey respondents used their savings, and 27 per cent took on debt.
Ms. Chaffey had previously attended a CBCN conference, and was known to the group through her involvement in projects like peer navigators and the Purple Lupin Project.
“My daughter and my granddaughter keep me yapping.” - – Mary Chaffey
She travelled to Ottawa in May to lobby as a survivor advocate for CBCN. The delegation spent time pouring over the study before meeting with members of Parliament.
“It just blew me away, the difficulties some people have experienced,” said Ms. Chaffey. “People have had to refinance mortgages on houses, cash-in RRSPs, borrow from family and friends, just because not everybody has money in the bank to draw from.”
In Ottawa, the delegation stressed the severity of the financial burden breast cancer has on people. While Ms. Chaffey said it is great people can receive 15 weeks of EI coverage, it is not enough for people going through chemotherapy, radiation, lumpectomy, or whatever procedure may be necessary.
“From the 15th week through to 30-odd weeks, if you’ve got no insurance to fall back on, and you haven’t got a big tree or piggybank growing money in the backyard, then you’ve got to live, and your family has to live.”
An extra burden can also be left with a spouse, who may be forced to work extra hours in order to make up for the lost income, creating a further burden in the family dynamic.
Along with an extension to the 15-week EI coverage, Ms. Chaffey said her delegation also advocated for increased access to cancer drugs across all provinces.
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