Leonard Dodson — Coquitlam resident
Ten Years of Making a Difference

Ten years ago, Leonard was a cancer patient himself. He was diagnosed with melanoma, which required surgery, and two years later with prostate cancer. Both were successfully treated. But during his prostate cancer treatment at Surrey Memorial Hospital, Leonard experienced something many patients can relate to: the stress of simply getting to treatment.

He had to drink two large cups of water before each treatment. Driving to Surrey, finding a parking spot, and trying not to be late with a full bladder was, in his words, more stressful than the treatment itself.

Later, while watching television, Leonard saw Bob Smith being interviewed on BCTV about Volunteer Cancer Drivers Society. Bob had been Leonard’s Big Brother at UBC, but Leonard had not been aware of the Society. After completing the required background check, he reconnected with Bob and became a volunteer driver.

During his time driving, almost every patient Leonard took to Surrey mentioned how much they appreciated not having to find a parking spot. Instead of the stress of driving themselves and worrying about being late, they had a period of calm.

There isn’t one drive that stands out for Leonard. Instead, it was the genuine thank you he received from patients at the end of a ride that kept him coming back. He also noticed something about the people he drove.

“Almost all the patients were meeting their disease head on, not ‘why me,’” Leonard recalls.

For Leonard, the drive to and from the hospital gave patients a chance to relax.

“The giving back from my recovery has kept me active in the Society,” Leonard says.

Over the years, Leonard’s contribution grew beyond driving. As the Society grew and its finances became more complex, Bob asked Leonard to join the Finance Committee. As a retired partner of a major accounting firm, Leonard was able to contribute his professional experience and continue supporting Volunteer Cancer Drivers Society in a different way.

Leonard and his wife spend six months a year away from Vancouver, so his driving was generally limited to the summer months. After turning 80 and with some of his own medical issues, he has reduced his driving. But he has continued as a member of the Finance Committee.

As his circumstances have changed over the years, Leonard has continued to find a way to contribute. What began with his own experience as a cancer patient became an opportunity to help make the journey a little easier for others, and volunteering has remained an important part of his life.

Looking back over his professional career, Leonard has served on several volunteer boards. His assessment of the people he has met through Volunteer Cancer Drivers Society is simple:

“Without hesitation I can state the volunteers on Volunteer Cancer Drivers Society are as dedicated as any I have seen.”

Leonard’s story reminds us that volunteering doesn’t have to look the same throughout our lives. Sometimes we give our time behind the wheel. Sometimes we contribute the skills we’ve built over a career. And when our circumstances change, we can find another way to stay involved.

For ten years, Leonard has continued to be part of Volunteer Cancer Drivers Society, first through his time as a driver and now through his experience and commitment on the Finance Committee.

Thank you, Leonard, for sharing your experience, your expertise, and your time, and for continuing to make a difference for others along the way.