Kelly has lived in Victoria for over 25 years, enjoying the beautiful scenery and lifestyle that the West Coast has to offer. One of the many benefits that Kelly loves about the Island is that he can ride his motorcycle year round. However, four years ago, Kelly’s life changed dramatically.

“One day, I was found unconscious in my truck from an unexpected seizure,” recalls Kelly. “The seizure was so bad that I had bit off part of my tongue.”

That day, Kelly was diagnosed with epilepsy; a condition marked by recurrent seizures. “My life has been tough since my diagnosis. I wasn’t able to leave my house. I never knew when I could experience another seizure.”

Since that fateful day, Kelly has been regularly monitored due to the severity of his seizures. During a routine check-in, his doctor discovered an inoperable brain aneurysm—a ballooning in a blood vessel—which can lead to bleeding in the brain. Then, in March 2022, while monitoring the aneurysm, his doctor discovered a tumour. From there, Kelly was referred to leading oncologist, Dr. Roy Cheung.

“Dr. Cheung explained how difficult it was going to be to get this tumour out. Since the tumour contained cancer cells, it had to be done. It was scary to hear. But he was so thorough and upfront about the procedure, and reassured me that he and his team had the best equipment and skills to make this possible,” says Kelly.

Dr. Cheung used a Nerve Monitoring System to perform a parotidectomy on Kelly, which involves the removal of a tumour from the salivary glands. While this surgery
poses a risk of facial paralysis, thanks to the Nerve Monitoring System, Kelly did not experience any permanent damage or paralysis.

“When I woke up from surgery, Dr. Cheung was at my bedside. He let me know that he got the whole tumour, and that I was going to be okay. I felt so incredible and so appreciative of the care teams that have helped me,” says Kelly.

Since his surgery, Kelly has been tumour-free, and has not experienced a seizure in months. “Having this tumour removed, and not having seizures anymore, has changed my life. I feel like a new man. I’m getting out again for the first time in years.”

Although Kelly still requires check-ups and testing, he is optimistic about his future and appreciative of his life, no matter the hardships. Kelly is beyond grateful for the care he received from both Dr. Cheung and the team at the BC Cancer Clinic at Royal Jubilee Hospital.

“We are so fortunate to live in a city that has access to amazing care teams and equipment,” says Kelly. “It’s so important to help our hospitals. I encourage anyone to do what they can to support our hospitals and our community.”