“I have cancer.” Everything changed in a blink when Shabana heard her mom’s diagnosis. She was only 13-and-a-half and could hardly process the words. It was a painful time for the whole family.
Fortunately, North York General Hospital (NYGH) was there in that life-defining moment and our cancer care team eased her mom’s journey with incredibly compassionate care before she passed away when Shabana was 15.
“I have cancer.” Everything changed in a blink when Shabana heard her mom’s diagnosis. She was only 13-and-a-half and could hardly process the words. It was a painful time for the whole family.
Fortunately, North York General Hospital (NYGH) was there in that life-defining moment and our cancer care team eased her mom’s journey with incredibly compassionate care before she passed away when Shabana was 15.
That experience stayed with Shabana who became a nurse and began her career at another local hospital. However, her mother’s journey sparked a desire to join NYGH. Shabana was nervous though because it brought back memories of her mother’s cancer treatment. With the encouragement of her mentor, she summoned the courage to apply to NYGH’s Anne Tanenbaum Chemotherapy Clinic and secured an interview in November 2015.
To Shabana’s delight, she received an offer letter with a start date of December 7 – her mother’s birthday. Shabana had to catch her breath when she saw the date; this seemed like destiny.
She credits her colleagues for making her work experience such a fulfilling one. The close-knit team has high care standards. They celebrate patient recoveries together and support each other through difficult moments.
Eight years later, Shabana is now a charge nurse at the chemo clinic, which is a position that educates other nurses and liaises with community resources in addition to providing direct patient care. On any given day she might be attaching a port for chemotherapy, checking a patient’s bloodwork results, or advising other nurses about symptom management. Helping other cancer patients and families is a way for Shabana to pay tribute to her mother.
One of the most meaningful aspects of Shabana’s work is stepping into the role of a friend, a confidante, a sister – and even a mother. During one of life’s most difficult trials, patients often reveal their deepest fears or secrets, and she listens without judgement. She recalls one of her patients shared her anxiety and challenges in being intimate with her husband following breast surgery. Another expressed her deep embarrassment about her colostomy bag bursting unexpectedly. As Shabana meets each patient’s words with compassion and understanding, her patients are reassured they have support and are not alone on life’s journey.
There are difficult days when a patient is dying. Shabana focuses on how she can contribute to honouring the patient’s final wishes. On her drive home, she often reflects on what these challenges and her patients are teaching her.
The care Shabana provides to patients often leaves “a mark on their heart” and they find meaningful ways to express their gratitude, such as presenting her with flowers or passing her handwritten notes of thanks.
“During a visit to the Chemo Clinic, one patient quietly put a note into my hand that read, ‘Don’t tell anyone, but you are my favourite person.’ I keep that note on my desk to remind me of how important it is to be there for my patients during one of life’s most challenging and defining moments.”
Shabana, Charge Nurse, Chemotherapy Clinic
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