‘I wasn’t going to let it bring me down’: This Toronto woman battled cancer while living in a shelter. Now, she’s in remission

A Toronto woman who survived cancer while living in a shelter is now sharing her story to inspire others during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. 

Pam Knox was diagnosed with stage 3 right breast cancer last June, a day before her son’s birthday. The diagnosis came while she was staying at St. Felix Centre, a non-profit community centre that supports those facing homelessness, poverty, and food insecurity. 

Although at the time doctors said the disease was treatable, the diagnosis took her completely by surprise. 

“I don’t forget the day I was diagnosed… It’s not an easy thing to get diagnosed with, something that you never thought would ever hit you,” she told Now Toronto. 

“You’re waiting for housing, and you get hit with a diagnosis like that… Sometimes, I would stop and wonder, ‘Do I focus all my my attention on my healthcare, or do I not focus so much on that because I need to get an apartment, I need to get a place.’” 

Prior to her diagnosis, Knox was admitted to St. Felix in 2023, after having been unhoused for two years. 

The resident said it was a relief to be admitted to the shelter, which accepted her to move in with her cat, Joanie, explaining that many shelters usually don’t accept people to move in with their pets, keeping many from accessing support. 

“A lot of places are not pet friendly… I don’t want to be pawning my pet off on other people, [but] I don’t want to have to give my pet up. This is my family,” she said. 

“Right from the get-go, both myself and my cat, we were both welcomed like family. There was never any negativity or anything. We were welcomed like family.” 

Survivor received support from shelter 

Despite the shock of the cancer diagnosis, Knox said she received treatment right away, with extensive support from the St. Felix team. The team promptly arranged doctors appointments, transportation, and prescriptions, and helped her navigate months of treatment, from chemotherapy to surgery to radiation. 

In addition to support through treatment and procedures, staff also helped Knox continue to navigate her search for permanent housing. 

“They have the medical workers that come in for their clients. They have them come in once a week for their clients and be there for their clients. They got the medical caseworkers there all the time,” she said. 

“God bless that St. Felix knows what they’re doing when it comes to being a shelter because they care so much for their clients…. I can’t say enough about St. Felix.” 

Speaking with Now Toronto, Brian Harris, Executive Director of St. Felix Centre, said being able to support people like Pam through their treatment and search for permanent housing is a privilege. 

According to him, stories like these can inspire not only other survivors, as it can also inspire people to look kindly to those experiencing homelessness. 

“There’s a lot of presumption about people that are unhoused, that everyone’s addicted to drugs, or everyone’s a criminal… and it’s just so far from the truth,” he said. 

“Homelessness and adverse health; these things can happen to literally anybody at any time. And rather than people attacking people who are struggling, have some grace and say, ‘This could happen to me. I don’t want it to happen to somebody else. How can I support these organizations?’”

‘I wasn’t going to let it bring me down’

When it comes to navigating her treatment, Knox said the most important thing for her was keeping a positive attitude despite the immense shock. 

“It’s a lot to do with the attitude. You can’t sit there and say that your life is over and it’s the end of the world because you have a diagnosis like that. My saying was, ‘cancer took my hair, but it didn’t take my spirit,’ and it didn’t. I made sure I always had a smile on my face. I wasn’t going to let it bring me down, and it didn’t,” she said. 

The resident said her cat was also an important part of navigating the treatment, re-emphasizing the importance of being at a shelter that allowed pets. 

“I was able to have my cat with me, and she knew I wasn’t well. She knew there was something going on, and whenever I’d come home and I was so tired from chemo and she’d cuddle right in with me when I tried to sleep,” she said. “If I hadn’t been able to have her with me, I don’t know if I would have been able to get through it.” 

Knox achieved remission and housing

After navigating through treatments for the past year, Knox has been in remission since June 1. She said hearing the words from her doctors was “the best news [she] could hear.” 

A couple of months later, in September, she was also offered permanent housing with support from St. Felix. 

“It was euphoria. It’s been tiring; it’s been exhausting bringing our stuff in, getting things sorted, downsizing, and everything. But it’s been so worth it,” she said. 

“I can cook my own food. I can come and go as I please… [I have] my own bathroom, my own TV, my own key to my own apartment. That’s the main thing, it’s that key [that] opens my private space… Getting that news right after finding out I was in remission… It’s been a very good summer for me.” 

In Breast Cancer Awareness Month, while being able to say she has survived cancer, the message Knox wishes to leave for others is to stay vigilant, and to not let their diagnosis take their focus away from their other objectives. 

“Never think that it couldn’t happen to you because it can. It doesn’t discriminate. Young, old, it doesn’t matter who you are. It will not discriminate. You keep your chin up. You keep your focus on housing. You keep your focus on that. If you work or you go to school, you’ve got that to focus on. That’s pushing you in a better direction.”