Zenabu Abubakari arrived in Canada from Ghana as a refugee in 2024. She came alone, forced to leave her three-year-old son behind.
Within months of her arrival, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and referred to the Jewish General Hospital for treatment.
As a newcomer unable to work and still finding her footing in a new country, Zenabu felt especially vulnerable. “I thought that when you are diagnosed with cancer, it means the end of you,” she recalls.
Recognizing her fears, the staff at the JGH quickly connected her with a Hope & Cope social worker, providing support at a time when she needed it most.
“Hope & Cope Looked After Me”
Through the compassion and support of the Hope & Cope team, Zenabu gradually came to see that a cancer diagnosis was not, as she had first feared, “the end of the world.”
“The social worker calmed me down and assured me that I would survive,” she recalls. “Hope & Cope promised to help me and be there for me, and they have been with me throughout the journey.”
Hope & Cope played an active role throughout Zenabu’s treatment, becoming a lifeline during months of chemotherapy. The organization provided meals, transportation assistance, and practical support that eased the burdens she faced as a newcomer with limited financial resources.
After her tenth chemotherapy treatment, Zenabu lost her hair, a loss that deeply affected her sense of identity.
“I looked in the mirror and cried,” she says. “I felt like I was losing myself.”
But the encouragement she received from the Hope & Cope staff helped her regain her confidence. “They gave me a scarf to wear, and the way they spoke to me made me feel beautiful. They said, ‘You are beautiful as you are.’”
When she later developed lymphedema in her arm, Hope & Cope once again stepped in, providing a specialized compression sleeve that she could not have afforded on her own.
Getting Emotional Support
The emotional support Zenabu received from the Hope & Cope team was instrumental in helping her navigate both cancer treatment and the challenges of adapting to life in a new country.
“Whenever I felt low, I could go and speak with someone at Hope & Cope, and they gave me courage,” she says.
Today, Zenabu is cancer-free and remains deeply touched by the ongoing care she receives.
“By the grace of God, I am now cancer-free. Hope & Cope continues to check on me,” she says. “They call and ask, ‘How are you doing? How is everything going?’”
One gesture in particular remains close to her heart. After she completed radiation treatment, the staff gave her a flower.
“I have kept that flower for two years now,” she says.
The relationships she formed with the team extended beyond her medical care. Staff members got to know her young son through phone conversations and regularly asked about him.
“They would ask, ‘How is your cute son?’ and it made me so happy,” she recalls. “They asked, ‘Will you bring him to Canada?’ and I said, ‘Yes, when the time is right.’”
Living in the West Island made it difficult for Zenabu to participate in many of the programs offered at the Hope & Cope Wellness Centre. Even so, she found strength in the friendships she developed with fellow patients and in the messages of hope they shared with one another.
One woman told her, “If it is not our time, it is not our time.”
“That stayed with me,” Zenabu says.
Today, she passes that same message on to others facing cancer.
“We shouldn’t let fear conquer us,” she says. “We will continue to live in God’s own time.”
Several months after completing treatment, Zenabu found employment caring for elderly people, a role that reflects the same compassion she herself received during her illness.
A Heartfelt Thank You
Zenabu describes the care she received through the JGH and Hope & Cope as a blessing in her life.
“They have helped me through the journey,” she says.
“I can say I’m still here because of their care. God bless you all for your support, for your kind words, and for everything you do for us cancer survivors.”
Like Zenabu, you may find more support available to you than you expect. Hope & Cope offers free services to adults living with cancer and their caregivers, from counselling and peer support to Wellness Centre programs.
If you are living with cancer or you are a caregiver and you need support, contact us at 514-340-3616.
Stories like Zenabu’s are made possible by donors who believe in the power of support. Your gift helps Hope & Cope provide free services to people living with cancer and those who care for them.
To donate, simply click on the donate button.
