Recently arrived Torontonians stage dance to help ailing woman (03/03/96)

Recently arrived Torontonians stage dance to help ailing woman

by Nestor Gula

TORONTO - The local Ukrainian community came out to help a young woman who has severe cancer.

Anna Daciuk, 26, an immigrant to Canada from Poland, was diagnosed with cancer of the colon in March 1995 and has been hospitalized ever since. She underwent intensive chemotherapy and that reduced the cancer by 30 percent.

Recently she had a relapse, however, and it seemed that there was no hope in eradicating the cancer. Upon hearing of a Ukrainian doctor in Austria, a Dr. Nowicky, who has a controversial cancer treatment, she decided this was her only hope. The drug treatment is not licensed for use in Canada, so Ms. Daciuk's family decided she should go to Austria for the healing.

Since they are recent immigrants to Canada the Daciuks did not have the money for airfare to Austria, or for the treatment, which costs approximately $2,000 for the initial series of tests and treatments.

Because her health was deteriorating quickly, Ms. Daciuk left for Austria on January 13. Her friends and family rallied around her and began canvassing the Ukrainian community in Toronto for donations. To this end they organized a zabava on January 20, at St. Mary's Dormition Ukrainian Catholic Church.

Marika Maslej, a longtime friend of Anna and an organizer of the fund-raiser, hoped to attract between 400 and 500 people to the zabava. "The hall was donated, the bands (there were three) are playing for free, and all the work is volunteer," said Ms. Maslej. "We need to raise money to help Anna because there is no way she can afford this treatment."

Over 500 people - many of them also recent immigrants to Canada - showed up at the dance, paying the $10 admission fee.

Myroslaw Hnatczak, who volunteered to work the door, noted, "Many people came in, paid the admission and stayed for only a short while. They all wanted to help Anna." He said while many came to help a friend in need, many others said that it was a good cause and this is the best way the new immigrants can help each other.

Roman Wynnyckyj, owner and president of Lava Computer Mfg. Inc., who made a large donation to aid Ms. Daciuk, said that although some people might not give much weight to the treatments the young woman will undergo in Austria, "the main thing that this does is it gives a person hope."

"Cancer is the worse thing that can happen to anybody, especially when one is young. If a person has hope, I strongly believe that the mind can overcome the disease. Knowing that the family and the whole community is behind you is also a great moral boost."

The main band for the evening was Cafe Kyiv; the others were Berkut and Zahrava.

The bassist for Cafe Kyiv, Borys Kowalsky, was diagnosed with cancer over 10 years ago, and recent Ukrainian immigrants from Poland had staged dances to pay for his cancer treatment. The treatment took place in Poland and the money was used to pay for expensive Western drugs.

He said that he is cured now and emphasizes that "knowing there were people supporting me gave a huge psychological lift."

The latest news on Ms. Daciuk is that her condition has improved marginally after the first series of tests and treatments. Donations may be sent to: St. Josaphat Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral, att'n: Anna Daciuk Fund, 143 Franklin Ave., Toronto, Ontario M6P 3Y9.

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