Susan Kuczynski spoke to the Club about OPACC (Ontario Parents Advocating for Children with Cancer) which has been since 1995 the parent voice for families of children with cancer throughout Ontario.
Each year in Canada there are 1700 new cases of childhood cancer. OPACC helps parents of children with cancer through its Parent Liaison (in-Hospital Support) program and advocates on a provincial level and empowers parents to advocate for themselves on important issues related to children with cancer and their parents.
Since 2011 OPACC has held a full time Parent Liaison position at the Sick Kids’ Hospital in Toronto and now partners with regional, national and provincial boards of many charities and boards (e.g. Canadian Cancer Society, etc.).
The Parent Liaison program includes information and referrals on hospital services, drop-ins for parents to chat and obtain support materials, one-on-one support through private visits and conversations, peer connections with other parents, hospital parking pass reimbursement as well as a gift card program for necessities such as gas and groceries. Some of the important issues advocated by OPACC are E.I. legislation benefits for parents of critically ill children, reduced hospital parking rates, representation of childhood cancer survivors, support for educational needs of children with cancer, raising awareness of childhood cancer and providing a caregiver voice to the pediatric oncology drug approval process.
Peter Ward thanked the speaker.