Jack Layton Loses Battle With Cancer.

Why Were We All Surprised?

Jack Layton’s Letter to Canadians

It has taken me a day to register the news of Jack Layton’s death and come to terms with how I feel about it. I decided to write this blog post about cancer and how it has affected my life, and how it probably has affected yours too.

If you are thinking that I am capitalizing on Jack Layton’s death by instilling a fear of cancer, since this an insurance website, I want to set your mind at ease. I usually don’t post articles that are personal here, but I felt a need to communicate about the risks of cancer and how we have all begun to downplay the seriousness of this very often fatal disease.

Cancer has touched the lives of many people in my family. When Jack passed away a similar feeling of loss came over me as when I heard about the death of my step sister, aunt or uncle who all died from cancer. Jack Layton was a true Canadian patriot. No matter what your political stripe, I think most Canadians admired Jack for his dedication to the good of our country. He fought for a better Canada, as he saw it, and that in itself endears him to me.

Why are we always surprised when cancer wins?

In the case of Jack Layton I think we were surprised because things happened so fast. Like for many cancer sufferers, he survived his first bought of cancer. It is often a secondary diagnosis of a new form of cancer that is more dangerous. Once a person’s physical health has been compromised by their first battle with cancer, the second or third diagnoses can be more dangerous and harder to survive.

Jack Layton’s death caught us all off guard because he only stepped down as leader of the NDP a month ago to focus on his health in the wake of a new cancer diagnosis. Jack was such a fighter and an inspiration to all cancer victims. A year ago, when diagnosed with prostate cancer, he underwent treatment and surgery and worked as leader of the NDP through it all. He then led his party to become the official opposition in Canada – a historic election which changed the face of Canadian politics.

In spite of all he achieved as a man and a leader, cancer still won. Jack Layton did not lack will-power to overcome this illness. He did not give in to defeat. In his own words to other Canadians battling cancer, Jack Layton writes, “To other Canadians who are on journeys to defeat cancer and to live their lives, I say this: please don’t be discouraged that my own journey hasn’t gone as well as I had hoped. You must not lose your own hope. Treatments and therapies have never been better in the face of this disease. You have every reason to be optimistic, determined, and focused on the future. My only other advice is to cherish every moment with those you love at every stage of your journey, as I have done this summer.”

I think we are always surprised that cancer wins because everyone we know, be they private friends or public figures, always extols their determination to win and their courage to fight against this deadly disease. And we, their friends and supporters, get behind them and believe in these words of hope.

Unfortunately cancer is one of the deadliest diseases we face in our common human experience. Cancer did not get this reputation of being a true fight for survival because of all the many people who survive the disease. Quite the opposite! It is the lucky person who beats cancer and goes on to a long and healthy life. I’m not saying that survival is purely luck of the draw. Those who beat cancer are also those who fight for survival, get the medical treatment they need, and have a will to live. Without this your chances are very slim. But even with such determination, as evidenced by Jack Layton’s personal battle with cancer, strength and determination do not always prevail.

How caner has touched my life

Like so many of you, cancer has had many defining moments in the lives of my family and friends. I would like to take a minute to discuss how cancer has shaped the lives of people I have known, and what was the outcome of the disease, both on the individual and their family.

My first brush with cancer

My aunt was diagnosed with cancer when I was a teenager. Her first diagnosis was breast cancer. Over the next 14 years she fought off 3 more diagnoses of cancer, but the disease kept returning again and again after only a brief time being cancer free. She finally died from abdominal cancer in her early 60s. Money was not an issue for her or her family, so there was no financial hardship. What she did leave behind was two adult children, my cousins, who feel the deep pain of their mother’s loss.

Cancer in my extended family

The second time I knew of cancer affecting my life was my step sister who was battling liver cancer. She was first diagnosed with breast cancer at age 29, but quickly beat that and it went into remission. Then, at age 32 it came back as liver cancer. I remember learning about how her health insurance benefits in California had run out after 2 years of being on disability, and she had to return to work to earn an income to live off. Being in the tourism promotion industry, she had to attend the trade show circuit once per year, through Europe and down to South Africa. She would take a triple dose of chemotherapy, be violently sick for 3 days, don her wig, and then board a plan for the 3 – 4 weeks she would be selling and networking out of country. She passed away after fighting liver cancer for 8 years. This cancer left her husband starting over financially and her sister, who had provided much of her home care, leaving her medical practice, taking a one year sabbatical before starting over again too.

A long life with cancer

My uncle had his first bout of cancer long before I was even born. I don’t remember what it was, but I do know that it returned again shortly after the first diagnosis as lymphatic cancer. He beat that one too. Then he went on to have a long and good life for more than 20 years with no more health problems. I was surprised then to learn when I was in my twenties that his cancer had returned very aggressively. I had a chance to speak with him near the end and wish him God’s blessings on his last days. When he passed away there was a significant life insurance payout that has provided well for his widow (my aunt) and his two sons as they got started with their own families.

Cancer took a brilliant colleague

A few years ago I was working for one of Canada’s top banks. A colleague of mine, a senior executive in that organization, was diagnosed with brain cancer. It was an aggressive kind of cancer where the best prognosis is a 5% survival rate over the next 3 years. He went on disability very quickly and his condition deteriorated rapidly. This brilliant man with a keen mind passed away 8 months after first being diagnosed with brain cancer. He left behind a younger second wife with 2 children under 10 years old. Unfortunately he never had any life insurance beyond his group insurance plan at work. His widow and children were left with about 2 years of his base salary to live on, and very little else.

Jack Layton’s fight with cancer could be anyone’s fight

When such a public figure like Jack Layton dies from cancer, we all feel the loss and the utter randomness of this deadly disease. Cancer does not know or care if you are rich, poor, famous, important, influential, smart, or any other way to describe a person. Cancer just grows and destroys cells in its path. The simple truth is every one of us lives with the risk of getting this deadly disease.

There is no way to mentally and emotionally be prepared for a diagnosis of cancer. There are, however, steps you can take to be financially prepared for the onset of cancer, and many other life altering diseases. I think we could all fight on against this disease if we knew our family and ourselves are protected from financial ruin.

Being proactive in this one area, financial risk planning, is an important part of your life plan. This is what I have been reflecting on in the wake of losing Jack Layton. I hope this article has been informative for you. If you too have been touched by cancer, making an imprint on your life, please feel free to comment below.

The article was written by Mitch Reynolds+. If you found this article interesting or it made you think, please feel free to share your comments below. Liking us on Facebook, giving us a +1 on Google or Tweeting this article about Jack Layton’s battle with cancer would also be very much appreciated.

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