Lived experience guides patient support

EDMONTON — When anyone faces a potential cancer diagnosis, navigating the healthcare system can feel overwhelming. Care that considers unique cultural, religious and community practices can support the journey. In Alberta, thanks to dedicated partnerships between Cancer Care Alberta (CCA) and community organizations, Indigenous patient navigators are available to support safe, compassionate care for indigenous patients, from diagnosis through treatment.

“I tell every patient and family I meet: don’t stay silent,” says Glenda Simon, a Licensed Practical Nurse who serves as the Client Navigator Team Lead with Treaty 8 Sovereign Nations. It’s a community-based role that works closely with, but is distinct from Cancer Care Alberta’s own Indigenous Cancer Patient Navigators. Her work focuses on health equity, anti-racism advocacy, and removing system barriers for Indigenous families traveling long distances for care.

Simon’s work brings her directly into contact with Cancer Care Alberta and its cancer-care teams as she helps clients connect with treatment and the supports they need. For Warren Michael, Provincial Indigenous Health Lead with Cancer Care Alberta, those relationships are an important part of strengthening Indigenous cancer care.

Michael met Simon through a quarterly Sharing Circle hosted by CCA, which brings together community and organizational partners with CCA system partners.

“Having dedicated navigation supports bridges a critical gap for Indigenous patients and their families,” says Michael. “When patients know there is someone who understands both the healthcare system and their cultural traditions, it builds trust and makes the entire treatment process far less intimidating.”

That commitment extends well beyond any single partnership. Michael says he is committed to fostering relationships and understanding with the many Indigenous and health system partners who play a critical role in strengthening Indigenous cancer care—work guided by CCA’s community-driven North Star to Action strategy, which is aligned with the support Simon provides to help Indigenous families.

Simon understands why many Indigenous people are reluctant to seek care early. Historical trauma, systemic racism, language barriers, and past negative experiences in healthcare cause deep mistrust. Too often, fear of being judged or looked down upon keeps people from speaking up when something doesn’t feel right.

Her commitment to breaking down those barriers comes from a painful family history.

When her father experienced persistent cold symptoms in the Northwest Territories, he was initially told he simply had food stuck in his throat. By the time he was more thoroughly assessed at Edmonton’s Cross Cancer Institute, he had stage four cancer.

"When my dad was misdiagnosed, it broke my heart, but it shaped everything about how I advocate for people today," Simon shares. "I tell every patient, write down your questions, and don't take symptoms for granted. If you feel something isn't right in your body, demand to be checked right away."

Simon put that advice into practice during her own battle with rectal cancer in 2023. Noticing unusual symptoms, her clinical background compelled her to push for an immediate colonoscopy. Surgeons identified and removed a tumor early, allowing her to recover and remain cancer-free.

That urgency drives her daily navigation work, where she partners closely with CCA’s Indigenous Cancer Patient Navigators, drawing on her relationship with Emma Osterling, who previously held a navigator role at the Cross Cancer Institute.

Osterling witnessed Simon’s dedication firsthand—both as a fellow healthcare professional seeking answers for complex client cases, and as a patient walking through the hospital doors with her own family.

"Cancer is so complicated, and even if you think you know every aspect of care, when you start experiencing it yourself, it's totally different," Osterling explains. "Our role as navigators is to be that support person between health systems and communities—to provide education, advocate during appointments, and just be a safe, familiar face in a big hospital so patients know someone is in their corner."

Osterling notes that having that supportive presence helps bridge the gap for patients traveling long distances from remote communities, ensuring they feel listened to, informed about their treatment steps, and supported every step of the way.

For Cancer Care Alberta, building relationships with Indigenous partners is part of strengthening accessible, culturally safe cancer care across Alberta.

Meanwhile, for Simon, that partnership is about more than any appointment or referral for cancer care—it’s about making sure no one has to face a diagnosis or navigate the system around it alone.