Harvesting hope for cancer research in Manitoba

Darcy Miller understood the gravity of his diagnosis before doctors said a word about cancer.

"When you walk in the room and there's two doctors sitting there wanting to talk to you, that's when it really hit," he told
 CBC's Marcy Markusa, host of Information Radio.

Miller was 47 when a routine colonoscopy revealed he had two polyps, both containing cancerous cells.

A month later, test revealed five out of 11 lymph nodes contained cancer as well.

The magnitude of the news shook the foundations of the Miller family. He and his wife Andrea have four children, the oldest is only 11 years old.

"My father passed in 2012 from colon cancer and we know the older ones would be able to put two and two together. We felt it was important to talk them and reassure them that the doctors were going to do everything they could," said Miller.

An idea grew like a seed

Last year in Manitoba about 930 people were diagnosed with colorectal cancer. About 64 per cent of those diagnosed survive.

"Our kids are too young to be left without a dad," resolved Miller.  

Chemotherapy left him feeling ill for weeks. He lost 70 pounds. At a low moment, Miller says he had, "No energy, just nothing... Never left the house for the last month of treatments. My wife had to carry us all through that."

At one point, Miller recalled timely advice from his father. 

"My dad always said 'Do what you do best and do a good job of it.'" An idea began to take shape.

The Millers run a pedigreed seed farm in Fortier, Man. It is land that has been in his family since 1890.

Cancer in family, but farming in their blood

Colon cancer may have claimed the life of his father and grandfather, but farming also runs in Miller's blood, it is what he does best.

Along with other local partners, including Bernie Chabot and Winkler's Legend Seeds, Miller decided this summer he will grow 90 acres of land for charity. He's hoping to donate between $50,000 and $60,000 come harvest time to Cancer Care research.

Miller says he has seen proof of the difference investments in research can make. He calls the improvements in his care compared to what his father received 13 years ago "unbelievable."

"I'm a firm believer in research," says Miller, "Anything we can do to try and keep the research going...that's what I [want] to do."

Listen to Darcy Miller tell his full story to Information Radio host Marcy Markusa on Tuesday morning at 8:10 AM on CBC Radio One 89.3FM in Winnipeg.