All in the FAMILY

When a community hospital treats patients like family, magic happens.

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Like many people, Terry Silimanis tried to ignore the physical discomfort he was feeling for as long as possible. However, in November 2023, after more than a year, the then 49-year-old road construction worker started to feel generally unwell. He lost a significant amount of weight, found blood in his stool and knew it was time to see a doctor, even if he wasn't happy about it. “I don’t like hospitals. If I needed stitches at work, it was basically some tissue and electrical tape,” he says with a laugh.

The results of Silimanis’s colonoscopy revealed the source of his symptoms—his physician found a tumour in his rectum. He was immediately referred to Dr. Sam Babak, a medical oncologist specializing in gastrointestinal cancers at Oak Valley Health’s Markham Stouffville Hospital (MSH). Further tests and imaging confirmed more difficult news: Silimanis had Stage 4 colorectal cancer that had spread to his liver.

“That was a complete shock to us,” says Silimanis’s sister Elaine Makos, who has served as his advocate and support throughout treatment. While there was a history of cancer in the family, everyone was diagnosed much later in life. “We figured we’d get it in our 70s or 80s.”

According to the Canadian Cancer Society, colorectal cancer is the fourth-most diagnosed cancer in Canada, with a projected 25,200 new cases in 2024. What’s more, scientists around the world have been tracking an increase in colorectal cancer rates for people under the age of 50.