A childhood passion for research
Marie-Noëlle Séguin Grignon was 8 years old when she decided that she wanted to help people with cancer. After watching the Opération Enfant Soleil Telethon, she was so upset by what she saw that she emptied her piggy bank to make a donation.
“I couldn’t believe that people with cancer had to suffer like that,” she recalled.
A few months later, she told her parents that she wanted to become a researcher and have her own lab dedicated to finding better treatments.
My dream turned into my life mission: making a difference for people with cancer.
By 2017, Marie-Noëlle was a 30-year-old PhD student whose work focused on chemotherapy resistance in some cancers. However, in September 2017, she found herself in the same position as the people she was trying to help when she was diagnosed with an aggressive form of stage 3 breast cancer.
From cancer researcher to living with cancer
Her symptoms started with fatigue and sudden drops in blood sugar. After Marie- Noëlle had tests that showed nothing, she found a lump in her breast. When she saw the images from her ultrasound, she knew that what she was seeing wasn’t a cyst.
During this time, Marie- Noëlle and her husband were planning to start a family. Marie- Noëlle found out she was pregnant, but the excitement was replaced by the fear that she probably had cancer. A few days later, Marie-Noëlle had a miscarriage.
“Was it stress or my body’s natural reaction to cancer? I don’t know, but I was relieved at the time because I knew that if I did have cancer, it would’ve been hard for me to choose between cancer treatments and foregoing treatments to save my baby,” she shared.
In December 2017, the diagnosis was confirmed: Marie-Noëlle had a stage 3, highly aggressive breast adenocarcinoma, but with no metastasis or lymph node involvement. Marie-Noëlle started her treatment: two types of chemotherapy, one after the other, for a total of 16 rounds. This was followed by 35 sessions of radiation over 6 weeks. Her family, husband and friends supported her throughout her intense treatment and when it was finally over, Marie-Noëlle was cancer-free.
It was really strange to be on the other side of the curtain and go from researcher to patient. But being sick added a new dimension to my work and I have a much better understanding of the side effects, pain and emotional upheaval that patients experience when they have cancer and undergo treatment.
Life after treatment
After her treatment, Marie-Noëlle decided to volunteer with the Canadian Cancer Society (CCS) before going back to work. She describes her volunteer work as rewarding in more ways than she could have imagined.
It allowed me to meet amazing people and to reignite my life mission at a time when I couldn’t accomplish it through work. Being able to make a difference fulfills me.
After treatment, Marie-Noëlle’s career plans no longer fit with her family plans. She made the difficult choice not to complete her doctorate. Although her educational plans changed, she’s still passionate about her work. In 2019, Marie-Noëlle started a new job in a lab, where she works as an immunology analyst and in cancer research.
More than ever, I have a greater appreciation for the difference that research and effective treatments can make.
When asked what she learned from her experience with cancer, Marie-Noëlle expressed no bitterness or regret.
“It made me better appreciate the beauty of life, humanity and my loved ones.”
Help change the future of cancer this holiday season
To help people living with cancer live longer, fuller lives, it takes all of us. Your donation to the Canadian Cancer Society helps those affected by cancer enjoy more precious moments with their loved ones.
For those affected by cancer, the holidays are a reminder that every moment is a gift. Help give more of them this holiday season.