Jill retired from her position as the Director of Patient and Family Support Services at CancerCare Manitoba in 2016. She had been working with those diagnosed with cancer and their families for over 38 years, providing individual, couple, and family counseling. She developed and facilitated several support groups and programs, including those for children whose parents have cancer, for younger women with breast cancer, and for women with advanced breast cancer, as well as facilitating online support groups for those with cancer and their families. She was honoured with the Canadian Association of Psychosocial Oncology (CAPO) Award of Excellence for Outstanding Contributions to Psychosocial Oncology in Canada. As a member the Canadian Virtual Hospice clinical team, Jill develops and reviews psychosocial content and provides responses and consultation for questions submitted to Ask a Professional.
“Over the years, I have heard first hand so many young people with advanced cancer talk about how they felt so isolated and alone, and how much they wanted to connect with others of their age and circumstances. They wanted to feel connected – to share experiences, to learn from each other, and feel like they were not the only one going through this. And here it is! A resource created by and for those living this. Thank you to all those who had the vision, for those who made it possible, for the young people who contributed their voices and for the opportunity to be part of the creation.”