Skip to main content
Open this photo in gallery:

Marla Johnson, photographed in Calgary’s Bowness Park, has been participating in a support group for people with blood cancers for the past five years.DAVID CHIDLEY

Retired Calgary schoolteacher Marla Johnson, 60, shares how her blood cancer support group helped her when she needed it most

After I was diagnosed with lymphoma five years ago and needed chemotherapy, I discovered something I didn’t expect: There’s virtually no limit to getting support for your journey if you look in the right places.

The right place for me was a blood cancer support group that I joined through The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada (LLSC). I’m still going, even after the group moved online during the pandemic.

There’s something special about talking with people who have gone through something similar to what I’ve gone through. There are problems, both physical and psychological, that I faced during cancer and treatment that you just can’t talk frankly about to people who haven’t been through it. They don’t ‘get me’ and what I am going through.

In my early days with the group, shortly after I was diagnosed, one person told us that she was in remission for one year. That gave me so much hope – at the time I had been counting down the days until my chemo would be over. Hearing from someone who had been through my cancer with a successful end result alleviated my fear and also spread hope to my family members. Worrying about my family had been an additional burden for me at first, but this was lifted when I could share success stories of others.

The blood cancer support group program coordinators prepare a range of interesting topics monthly so there’s something new to learn from each session. And I appreciate it. I’ve taken tidbits away from sessions that I still use almost five years later — ideas about self-care, setting boundaries and eating well.

The floor is open for discussion after presentations and we often have our most interesting conversations then. I learned that it’s important to be honest about what I’ve been going through with cancer and treatment. And what happens within the group stays within the group; everyone agrees to keep the details of our sessions confidential.

I attended the LLSC support group before, during, and post-chemo, and I’m glad I got started early. I feel like I’ve found my tribe. I experienced so much fear and uncertainty, like I was sailing into uncharted waters not knowing what to expect, not even knowing if I’d live. Those who attend the support group gave me assurance and sound advice; now I’m there spreading hope and sharing my journey for anyone who needs it.

It’s almost as if through this experience I received a gift I never knew I wanted. I see familiar faces – and new faces – in the group every month and it continues to give me hope. With a virtual support group, I know I’m not alone.


Advertising feature produced by Globe Content Studio with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada. The Globe’s editorial department was not involved.

Interact with The Globe