I am an experienced Brain Injury Survivor having sustained a severe Traumatic Brain Injury after a very serious motorcycle accident in 1997.
Living my life now as a cancer patient is a new health challenge for me. I was recently diagnosed (in 2026) with serious, Stage 4, Metastatic Prostate Cancer.
Cancer and Brain Injuries share similar physical, cognitive, and emotional challenges and both conditions can significantly affect someone’s quality of life.
Again, I now experience some major cognitive challenges (memory, brain fog, etc.) that I worked extremely hard to cope with following my motorcycle accident.
It is unfortunate that there is a huge funding difference between Cancer Care and Brain Injury Care in Ontario.
Cancer Care Ontario is part of Ontario Health, an agency created by the Government of Ontario with a mandate to connect and coordinate the province’s health care system, to help ensure that all patients receive the best possible care.
Imagine if there was a branch of the Provincial Government that focussed solely on helping Brain Injury Survivors and their families receive the best possible care and support.
I think more Brain Injury Survivors would be in a better position to “Rethink, Redo, and Rewire” their brains to cope with their trauma.
These are my thoughts as I now think about Cancer and Brain Injuries. 🙏
Anthony Aquan-Assee
“Always Believe” 🙏
