Philip, Canada

February 4th is always significant day for me. It was on this date 15 years ago that my wife Victoria died, two days after being hospitalized due to the sudden and shocking return of breast cancer for which she had been apparently successfully treated 2 years earlier. Despite regular checks and high quality healthcare, somehow the cancer had returned unnoticed until it was too late.

It was on this date that I looked into Victoria’s eyes for the last time, as she suddenly knew something was very wrong, and saw life leave her in an instant.

It was on this date that I had the heart-wrenching experience of telling our two daughters, then aged 4 and 5, that their beloved Mother had died. The memory of their reactions has been etched in my heart ever since.

Since her first diagnosis, Victoria’s courage, strength, and determination were amazing. She was scared, of course, but never let any of it derail her in any aspect of her life. She continued working as a full time international educator, teacher trainer, school inspector, and - most importantly - a devoted mother to her two daughters whom she loved with every fiber of her being.

We don’t wait for this anniversary to remember Victoria - that happens all the time, and she lives on in our hearts and in every aspect of our amazing daughters who carry her spirit. But this date is a perfect opportunity to remember the importance of this fight, for a healthier future for everyone. If we work together, we will achieve it!