Linda Eagen

President & CEO
Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation
Member, TEC 289

As the president and CEO of the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation, Linda Eagen is a proven fundraising professional. Her work over the years has been instrumental in increasing cancer survivorship in Eastern Ontario. Somewhere along the line, though, she began to feel like there was a piece missing.

“Going through cancer treatment, before, during and after is not a nice time in your life," Eagen says. "It is extremely overwhelming and our health care system is not equipped properly to deal with the human and wellness aspect that most people want to have addressed when they have cancer.”

On a gut feeling, she set out to transform the cancer experience by developing a specific type care.

“It’s not treatment, it’s called cancer survivorship care and it’s grounded in the notion that given the right info, tools and support through positive coaching you can be active in your health and wellbeing.”

With this aim to empower cancer patients and their families by lending key resources and tools throughout the survivorship journey, Eagen set plans in motion to build Canada’s first comprehensive centre for cancer survivors.

Four short years later, the Maplesoft Centre opened its doors on November 10, 2011 in a momentous ceremony that Eagen explains as a “dream come true.”

The 10,000-square-foot facility models a homey, comfortable atmosphere and is situated on a picturesque park adjacent to major walking and biking paths. The centre offers a plethora of programs tailored to an individual’s personal needs through every step of the cancer experience from pre-diagnosis, through diagnosis and treatment, to post-treatment recovery and end of life. Family members and caregivers are also welcome, free of charge.

Through different programming, divisions, independent and group coaching, Maplesoft takes a holistic approach to addressing needs and issues by encompassing three main components.

A diverse educational element equips patients with valuable information on a variety of topics including coping with cancer diagnosis, reducing stress and anxiety, cognitive skills development, and improving sleeping and diet. The centre even provides healthy cooking classes taught, at times, by top chefs from the Ottawa area.

The practicality element inspires patients to benefit from the safe and non judgmental environment to try new things such as ‘cancer sport’, fitness, laughter therapy, positive visualization, Tai Chi or yoga (to name a few).

The third and final component is fostering a supportive community as patients participate with facilitators, as a group, with one another, or alone to triumph over hardships that are involved with the cancer experience.

Described as “a safe landing place to get your bearings,” Eagen believes the facility is going to revolutionize cancer therapy in the region.

“I can barely talk about it without being overwhelmed with emotion,” says Eagen, whose parents are both cancer survivors.

“When we started piloting some of the programs, I would get feedback like, ‘I could not have made it through this with out the program.’ Or someone would tell me, ‘I owe you my life.’”

The process to plan, build and open the centre was a rewarding experience for Eagen, who is especially grateful for the generous funding and support from the community as well as the provincial and federal governments. She is also appreciative for her TEC colleagues who helped to sift through many ideas throughout the project’s timeline.

“It is a very exciting time. So many things have come together and it’s so powerful."

Visit the Maplesoft Centre's website

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