Munira’s story
Munira Premji had just spent one glorious year in remission, after a hard-fought battle with multiple myeloma and lymphoma. She was back at work and feeling like herself for the first time in years.
Her peace of mind shattered the day she found a lump in her breast.
Munira’s physician called North York General Hospital’s BMO Breast Diagnostic Centre where she underwent a series of mammograms, ultrasounds, consultations with breast specialists and surgeons. A biopsy confirmed her worst fear: it was cancer.
The lump was removed immediately but Munira was crushed when surgical oncologist, Dr. Brian Pinchuk, told her that all of the 16 lymph nodes removed from her underarm had cancer. Every single one. The cancer had spread.
After three cancer diagnoses in just five years, the harsh reality of stage three advanced breast cancer was simply too much to bear. Munira cried more that day than she ever cried in her life.
Munira began intensive treatments at North York General, and was touched by the kind, personal care she received.
“From the moment I started my treatment at North York General’s Cancer Care Program, I knew I was somewhere special,” she says. “The chemotherapy staff went beyond care for me. They even scheduled my chemo so that I could attend my daughter Sabrina’s university graduation in New York – a milestone moment that I wasn’t sure I would live to see. They helped make it happen because it mattered to me!”
Today, the breast cancer chapter of Munira’s story is drawing to a close. Her happily-ever-after is no longer threatened. She lives it every single day, thanks to North York General.