While every cancer journey is different, Luana Locke’s is truly one of kind. At the age of 25, while pregnant with her first child, Luana was diagnosed with breast cancer. That diagnosis triggered genetic testing which revealed Luana has a rare hereditary disorder called Li-Fraumeni Syndrome (LFS), that comes with an almost 100% chance of developing cancer again in her lifetime.
“When I was diagnosed, it wasn’t a stretch for me to think that my newborn would soon be left without a mother,” said Luana. No one in my family before me had survived their cancer diagnoses.” She sadly lost her own mother to breast cancer at a young age, as well as her sister at only 9 years old, a beloved aunt, brother, and young nephew.
“For me, learning I had LFS was more about making sense of it all; understanding there was a reason for all of these occurrences in my family. But despite the reality and statistics of LFS, my attitude toward survival has shifted significantly because of The Princess Margaret.”
Breakthroughs in early detection at The Princess Margaret and donor-funded medical research are the reason Luana has now survived cancer six times, including sarcoma, lung cancer, thyroid cancer and skin cancer. Each time, the cancer was discovered in its earliest stages – a result of rigorous screening – and successfully treated. Currently, she is living cancer-free.
Today, Luana’s story has been able to move from one of loss and uncertainty, to hope and optimism. “I am forever grateful to The Princess Margaret for the life-saving care they provide, and in turn to all the people who donate and participate in the Princess Margaret Home Lottery in support of their mission.”
“For anyone who dreams of a world without cancer, what better way to support that dream than to buy a Lottery ticket, where not only are your odds of winning one of many fantastic prizes very good, but where there’s a 100% chance of contributing to the dream of a future without cancer?”