When Julie Deleemans was 15 years old, she started to experience pain in her throat and changes in her voice. The symptoms became worse over time as she began having trouble swallowing and constantly felt tired. Julie visited the doctor for two years without getting any answers.“ My doctor concluded I was making my symptoms up; that it was all in my head,” Julie says.
One day, Julie’s mother accompanied her to an appointment and told the doctor that they were not leaving until he referred Julie to a specialist. At the specialist, Julie learned that one of her vocal cords was paralyzed. A CT scan and multiple biopsies revealed that she had a large mass in her throat. Julie was diagnosed with stage four laryngeal cancer at 18 years old. “I will never forget when I was told I had cancer. The doctor looked at me and said, ‘We think you have cancer, and if you do, we will have to remove your voice box’,” Julie recalls. “I started to laugh because I thought it was a joke.” “After I realized it was, in fact, not a joke, it was like a bad dream that I wanted to wake up from,” Julie
says. “Mostly, I felt anger and fear. I was angry for so long.”
Julie began intensive treatment after the diagnosis, including a total laryngectomy surgery. The procedure removed her larynx, thyroid and surrounding lymph nodes. Julie then went through three high doses of chemotherapy and 25 high doses of radiation, within six weeks. “After treatment, everyone expects you to go back to who you were. But cancer changes you, whether you like it or not,” Julie says. “It’s not until the dust settles that you realize this.” The biggest change after her treatment was being unable to speak the same. Due to the surgery, Julie’s
voice became a soft whisper. She did not return to work or go to university afterwards. Julie experienced severe depression soon after finishing her treatments. “I felt like it was a mistake that I’d survived,” Julie explains. “I didn’t have access to a psychologist, and I
felt isolated as a young person with cancer.”
For the next four years, Julie experienced serious mental health challenges. She turned to partying and struggled with anxiety, severe depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and periods of suicidality. Julie’s life changed when she decided to focus on healing her mind and body. She found healthier coping methods and learned about integrative therapies such as yoga, mindfulness and nutrition. Julie also
decided to attend post-secondary, taking psychology at the University of Western Ontario. “I decided that no one was coming to save me, so I had to save myself,” Julie says.
During her studies, Julie discovered a passion for research. After finishing her four-year program in three years, she went on to complete a master’s degree in psychology, specializing in behavioural neuroscience. In 2016, Julie attended the Canadian Association for Psychosocial Oncology conference and learned about a PhD program in medical science with the University of Calgary. She joined the program and studied the connections between a person’s gut microbiome and their mind. “My study was motivated by my own cancer experience,” Julie says. “I learned that there are links between our gut and our mind, so we need to focus on healing both simultaneously in cancer survivors.”
Julie completed her PhD, specializing in psychosocial oncology, in 2022 at the University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine. As she works with new cancer patients and their families within her research, Julie frequently recommends Cancer.ca and CancerConnection.ca, vital support services offered by the Canadian Cancer Society. “These sites would’ve been great resources for me back when I was being treated for cancer,” Julie says. “Now, I use Cancer.ca within my research as it has great information and cancer statistics.”
In 2023, Julie became involved with the Canadian Cancer Society as a Patient, Survivor, Caregiver (PSC) reviewer. As a PSC reviewer, Julie’s role is to provide her perspective as both a cancer survivor and a post-doctoral researcher when it comes to allocating funding to world-leading cancer research. “I find the work I do as a PSC reviewer extremely meaningful. I love knowing that the patient voice is
being considered in research and policy now more than ever,” Julie says. Julie enjoys participating in the program as it brings attention to pressing issues within the healthcare system, including the lack of appropriate care and delayed diagnoses for young people with cancer.
“I’ve made peace with my cancer experience. While it was awful, it also helped me to find my purpose in life, helping others with cancer through the work I do.”
