Chantale Thurston
CHAIR
Chantale is a motivated patient advocate who believes in awareness, knowledge and research to lead to earlier detection and better outcomes. She was diagnosed at 34 with Stage 4 Appendix Cancer and underwent 4 rounds of chemotherapy and an intense 8-hour HIPEC surgery. She is a mother, a wife and an accountant (CPA, CGA). She can be reached on Instagram @ChantaleT1.
Dylan Buskermolen
VICE-CHAIR
Dylan is a professional health advocate, public speaker, and three time cancer survivor. At 19 years old, Dylan was diagnosed with a form of blood cancer called Hodgkin's Lymphoma and underwent chemotherapy and radiation treatment throughout 2017. Throughout his initial treatment, Dylan was able to meet with fellow patients and healthcare professionals that inspired him to get involved as a spokesperson for his fellow patients and AYA members of the community. This, in addition to multiple cancer relapses throughout the pandemic, led Dylan to work at the Canadian Cancer Society as a Public Engagement and Advocacy Specialist. Outside of work, Dylan is passionate about writing, fitness, and all things nerdy!
Vinesha Ramasamy
TREASURER
Vinesha (she/her) is a childhood and young adult survivor of multiple osteosarcoma (bone cancer), sarcoma and lung cancer recurrences, now living with chronic illness and disability as a result of her cancer experiences. Vinesha and her family arrived in Canada as Sri Lankan Eelam Tamil refugees while she was a child. Her career began in capital markets and finance, however Vinesha’s life journey led her to shift focus to community building, community giving, global sustainability, and social finance. Her life purpose revolves around contributing advocacy, support and mentorship with a health equity and social justice lens. You can find her at @VineshasVoice on Instagram.
Nadia Wendowsky
Nadia is a native of Montreal. A graduate of McGill University, she has held successive executive level positions in the not-for-profit sector. Today, she is the Vice-President, Leadership and Corporate Giving at the Canadian Cancer Society. She is fortunate to dedicate her career to organizations with a mission focus; working in (healthcare) philanthropy, she is privileged to connect people and causes to advance some of the biggest challenges facing communities today. Nadia is also an AYA cancer survivor. In 2021, she was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer and she navigated that journey during the pandemic with two young children. She is deeply committed to advancing AYA cancer research and care to ensure that others facing the disease receive access to the most promising interventions and personal care they need.
Nicole Rutkowski
Nicole is a registered provisional psychologist at the Arthur J.E. Child Comprehensive Cancer Centre, where she works with individuals diagnosed with blood cancers. She holds a PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Ottawa and completed a specialized Fellowship focused on supporting adolescents and young adults (AYA) diagnosed with cancer. In addition to her clinical and research training, Nicole brings lived experience to her work as an AYA cancer survivor, having been diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2022 during her doctoral studies. Her research and clinical interests lie in health psychology and psychosocial oncology, with a particular focus on the unique impacts of cancer on adolescents and young adults, including cancer-related fatigue. Nicole is passionate about advancing AYA cancer care and improving access to evidence-based mental health supports throughout diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship.
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