Tuesday, April 6, marked the third annual Oncology Nursing Day recognized by the Toronto Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) Ontario Region. And for Headwaters Health Care Centre it represented the first time its oncology nurses won recognition from the LLS.

Dianne Zahodnik represented the LLS when giving a gift of thanks to the Headwaters nurses. Carol Riddell, the hospital’s palliative care co-ordinator, accepted the gift on behalf of the oncology department.

Oncology Nursing Day was established in 2003 to promote the work of Canada’s oncology nurses. Typically, Toronto’s core hospitals have been chosen to receive gifts from the LLS.

Lea Greenwood, Patient services manager for Ontario has been in charge of organizing the distribution of gift baskets for the past three years.

Mrs. Greenwood said LLS tries to pair the donation of a gift basket with a cancer survivor from the recognized hospital.

Mrs. Greenwood commented that being an oncology nurse isn’t the most uplifting job. Oncology nurses deal with a lot of strenuous circumstances and still remain patient and kind to families and patients.

“We can’t thank them enough,” she said.