After Rachelle Viinberg discovered that her mother, June de Jong, had colon cancer, the pair made a pact. Rachelle, a competitive rower, would make the Olympic team, and her mother would be in the stands to watch her compete in 18 months’ time at the London Games.

With those two goals in mind, mother and daughter communicated daily to discuss their journeys, as June went through conventional and complementary treatment in Fort Langley, BC, and Rachelle began her run for a spot on the Olympic podium.

“The support integrative cancer care gave my mother minimized the side effects of chemotherapy, and I believe helped her go into full remission,” said Rachelle, who is a Naturopathic Doctor. On August 1, 2012, Rachelle and June both achieved their goals: Rachelle and her teammates won a silver medal for Canada in the women’s eight rowing event, as her proud mother cheered her on from the stands.

Rachelle was on hand recently at the official grand opening of the Ottawa Integrative Cancer Centre, the first integrative cancer care and research centre in Eastern Canada, and a regional centre of the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine. She had the opportunity to share her mother’s story with community leaders, partners, patients and other invited guests at the ribbon cutting ceremony, which took place October 15.

Joining Rachelle to cut the ribbon at the event were Dr. Colin Carrie, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health (pictured right, above) and Paul Dewar, MP for Ottawa Centre (pictured left).

“The positive impact that Ottawa Integrative Cancer Centre practitioners have on improving the quality of life of those touched by cancer cannot be overstated,” said Dr. Carrie, on behalf of the Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health.

Other speakers included Linda Eagen, President & CEO of the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation; Rabbi Dr. Reuven Bulka; Dr. Bob Bernhardt, President & CEO of the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine; OICC patient Colleen Kanna; and Dr. Shailendra Verma, Medical Oncologist of The Ottawa Hospital.

“It’s about time that we looked at complementary therapies and practitioners as part of the health care process and system,” said Dr. Verma. “It’s absolutely exciting for me as a practitioner of conventional oncology to have this option for patients to consider.”

A Patient Tells Her Story

OICC patient Tama Levine spoke about her personal experience of combining conventional and complementary care in her own treatment: “I feel so fortunate I was able to encounter what complementary medicine had to offer me very early in my cancer journey,” she said. “It’s been an incredible journey of straddling both systems, and I feel, getting the most out of what each had to offer.” Tamara’s newly published book, But Hope is Longer, takes the reader from the devastation of her breast cancer diagnosis through treatment and recovery, with the unique addition of commentary from her “dream team” of health care providers from both traditional and complementary medicine.

Opening Their Arms

Murray Foster of the Newfoundland Celtic band Great Big Sea debuted his new song Open Arms, dedicated to the OICC and its patients.

The music and lyrics of Open Arms convey the overwhelming feelings of someone having been diagnosed with cancer, feeling lost and out of control, and searching for a place of healing where they can find care for their whole being.

“It was a privilege to write Open Arms and to dedicate it to the patients of the OICC,” said Foster. “Having seen the facility, it seems to me to be long-overdue. Dugald Seely and his team have a passion for OICC that is contagious.”

The Integrative Cancer Care Model

“Cancer is the leading cause of death in Canada and is a severely debilitating disease that needs better management,” said Dugald Seely, Naturopathic Doctor, Founder & Executive Director of the OICC. “We must put more focus on research for prevention as many cancers are in fact preventable. Furthermore, by integrating complementary, whole-person care into the overall cancer research and health care process, much more can be done to help improve the quality of life for people living with cancer, as well as prevention of recurrence. When complementary cancer care therapies are applied in an integrative manner alongside conventional treatment, patients can better cope with side effects associated with chemotherapy, radiation and surgery. The OICC is committed to bridging the gap between conventional and complementary cancer care and research.”

About the OICC

As a not-for-profit, regional centre of the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine, the OICC welcomes patients at any stage and those wishing to prevent cancer or its recurrence. The OICC provides whole-person cancer care to improve the quality of life of those touched by this debilitating disease. The Centre works with patients and physicians to provide therapeutic programs that decrease side effects and promote health during and after conventional treatment. Through clinical practice, research and education, the OICC strives to assess and reduce possible causes of cancer while exploring innovative integrative treatment approaches.

The OICC opened quietly last year while it began renovations on the building that originally housed CJOH-TV News in Ottawa. With the official grand opening, the OICC has nearly tripled the size of its facility in order to meet the needs of a growing number of cancer patients interested in receiving complementary care. Over the next five years, the OICC will be raising funds to build a centre four to five times the size of the current facility, expanding the OICC model of care, with the ultimate goal of impacting the delivery of cancer care across Canada.

Visit the OICC website 
Watch the OICC video on YouTube for more information on integrative cancer care and to listen to patients’ stories