Former Nelson-Creston MLA Corky Evans opens up about his fight with prostate cancer in the spring issue of Forward magazine, a publication of the BC Cancer Agency.
Evans’ results were first flagged after a routine exam in his late 40s, but a decade went by before he was diagnosed with a “moderately aggressive” cancer.
He “begrudgingly” agreed to a surgical consultation and underwent brachytherapy, which involves the insertion of radioactive seeds next to cancer cells.
In the story, Evans describes a desolate night in a Kelowna hotel after the treatment in 2011. “A neighbour from home was passing through and brought me a bowl of soup,” he told the magazine. “It was one of those moments where you see a person’s face and you’re not quite sure if it’s a person or an angel.”
Evans admits that he didn’t handle the process well, ignoring his doctor’s advice, and referring to himself as “a failure when it came to learning and thinking about cancer.”
However, his cancer experience helped solidify his decision to trade politics for life as a Slocan Valley farmer.
Evans appears on the magazine's cover. The three-page article includes photos by local photographer Jeremy Addington,
Evans served as MLA from 1986-2001 and 2005-09 and held several cabinet posts.
This story will appear in the West Kootenay Advertiser