At the age of 40, North Vancouver teacher Margaret Benson was running out of time.
She was on the waiting list for a double lung transplant but knew the wait time could be up to two years. It was time she didn’t have.
The year was 1999, and Benson, who was born with the genetic disorder Cystic Fibrosis, had struggled with breathing difficulties and infections her whole life. At age 14, doctors told her she had just one year to live. They were wrong.
Treatment and medication helped manage the disorder but the condition worsened to the point that she needed a transplant to survive by the time she was in her late 30s. In early December 1999, Benson got the call she had been desperately waiting for: there was a set of lungs available.
Benson and her husband made their way to Vancouver General Hospital for the life-or-death procedure. The operation took more than seven hours, but after some complications, setbacks, and more surgery, Benson recovered and was able to take her first full breaths with her new lungs. Although the transplant process in B.C. allows for anonymity for both donors and recipients, Benson knows the lungs came from a small town in B.C., and from a child. In a previous North Shore News story about her experience, Benson noted: “Knowing someone had to lose their life in order for me to live, that’s something I struggle with all the time.”
Almost two decades later, Benson is healthy, grateful, and busy. Now retired from teaching, she stays active as a Zumba instructor and is the B.C. representative for the Canadian Transplant Association, as well as a volunteer advocate for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
In 2012, Benson was the recipient of a Courage to Come Back Award, for which she was nominated by her husband.
“I think I was kind of in shock but also very honoured, extremely honoured because I knew I’d be representing an incredible group of people that also had unbelievable stories,” she says of winning the award. “I was very touched too that they thought my story was worthy of covering.”
The 19th annual Coast Mental Health’s Courage To Come Back Awards nomination process kicked off earlier this month and is now accepting nominations in a variety of categories, including medical, addiction, mental health, physical rehabilitation, social adversity, and youth. Nominations are open to all B.C. residents and are being accepted until Feb. 8.
Darrell Burnham, Coast Mental Health CEO, noted in an email that the event has raised more than $10 million over the years for Coast Mental Health’s programs.
The event’s purpose is to honour the journey of recovery for all of the recipients and to have them stand as examples for others who may be just starting their journey, he added. “The awards honour those nominated, helps shine a light on their story, and creates better understanding of the challenges that are faced and overcome by the recipients.”
Burnham also stated the process to nominate someone is easy, and just the fact that someone is nominated and their struggle is recognized (they get a lovely certificate) is appreciated by the nominee.
“There are many unsung heroes in British Columbia. I think the awards help us identify them and truly honour their achievements,” stated Burnham in the email. “The Courage Gala itself is one of the most inspiring events you could imagine, we have tissues on all the tables as tears flow throughout the evening. At the end of the night, any problems you might have are put in a proper perspective and you feel truly inspired.”
For Benson, winning the award was not about receiving accolades. The awards provide an opportunity to share important messages of courage, resilience, and strength, and let people know that if you “cherish life and cherish everything that you’ve been given there may be things that will come out of it.”
“I’ve always been a fighter. I’ve always been one to live every day like it’s your last day, and I don’t ever like to say live each day to the fullest but just live life,” she says. “For me I was able to show the world that I made it. I showed the doctors I made it.”
For more information about the Courage to Come Back Awards, or to nominate someone, visit the website couragetocomeback.ca/nominations.
– with files from Jane Seyd
