“We are community based down to our core. Our team is made up of former patients, friends, loved-ones, and health care specialists. This organisation was built trough small donations and volunteering.”
— Alex Desy, Founder
 
 

History

The Canadian Testicular Cancer Association was founded by Cheryl Perry in Kitchener, Ontario, in 2007. Cheryl’s son, Adam, was diagnosed with testicular cancer in April of 2003 while attending high school at Southwood Secondary School in Cambridge. Just seven short months later, on November 9th, 2003, Adam passed away peacefully with his family by his side. Adam was 18 years old.

During Adam’s illness, he told his mother that he had found a lump when he was 15, but didn’t know what it was, and so he said nothing. As the cancer began to spread, Adam noticed that his testicle had swelled; still, he thought it would go away and kept silent. During Adam’s treatment, he told his mother that he wanted to speak out and reach others so they would not go through would he endured.

In 2012, Alexandre Désy, a testicular cancer survivor, founded a similar organisation named Testicular Cancer Canada with the support of two other survivors (Charles Méthot and Guillaume Rabette) and members of their families. Together, they witnessed first hand the lack of information, awareness and support. Guillaume helped Alex and Alex helped Charles. They wanted to give to others the support and information they were able to get from each other. They have been paying it forward ever since.

In late 2014, both organisations joined forces under the Testicular Cancer Canada name.

We have been stronger together since. 

 
Adam

Adam

 

Testicular Cancer Canada Board of Directors

The Board's role is to ensure that Testicular Cancer Canada maintains the highest standards of performance, governance, accountability, transparency and cost to fundraising ratios. The Board annually reviews the performance of the Leadership team. Our Board is skills-based, with members each bringing a wide range of expertise and experience.

In keeping with Testicular Cancer Canada’s focus on minimizing administrative costs, all Board members are unpaid for their directorships.

Board Members

 

Dana Grégoire

Dana joined the TCCan board of directors in the spring of 2011. Dana joined the TCCan board of directors in the spring of 2011. Dana is an articling student at Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP in Toronto. Prior to law school, Dana worked as the Senior Research Associate for the Canadian Coalition for Good Governance in Toronto. Dana has also served in a number of other director and consulting roles for not-for-profit organizations across Canada. In addition to his law degree from the Univesity of Manitoba, Dana also holds an MBA (Financial Management) from Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario, and a BA (Political Studies) also from the University of Manitoba.


Linkedin

Adam Smith

Adam Smith is the CEO of My IT Guy Corp., an IT solutions provider in Kitchener-Waterloo, founded in 2004. His family, like many others, has felt the impact of cancer. Two of his grandparents were taken by cancer, and he lost his father to lung cancer when he was 17 – a week before his father’s 51stbirthday. Adam’s father had also lived with Type 1 diabetes from childhood. For these reasons, Adam had always wanted to do something to help. Movember made a lot of sense to Adam – especially since they expanded to support multiple men’s health issues – and he’s been an avid fundraiser for that organization since 2009. When Adam was introduced to Testicular Cancer Canada founder Cheryl Perry, he knew it would be a good fit, and hopes that his contributions might save someone else the pain of losing a loved one to cancer.


Linkedin
 

Vincent Guibord
Director

Nicolas Désy

Mr. Désy is a lawyer with Couzin Taylor LLP. In addition to his studies in law at the Université de Montréal, Mr. Désy has completed a Masters in taxation law. Mr. Désy’s practice focuses primarily on customs, international trade and indirect taxes. Prior to joining Couzin Taylor, Mr. Désy practiced tax law at a large national law firm in Montréal. Mr. Désy acts for clients in disputes involving issues related to sales tax, customs and international trade, à l’Université de Montréal. Mr. Désy strives to be involved in his community. Mr. Désy is a member of the Young Bar Association of Montreal, of the Association de planification fiscale et financière and of the Canadian Tax Foundation. Mr. Désy has also been involved with Mission Sourires d’Afrique and is the founder of the Pro Bono Students Canada program at the faculty of law of the Université de Montréal.


Linkedin

Ellen Menage

Ellen graduate in 2000 from the Conestoga Institute of Applied Arts and Technology with an applied degree in Business Administration with an accounting specialty. In her senior year she served as the President & CEO of Conestoga Students Incorporated, a registered Not-for-profit advocating for and supporting the student voice. In 2000 she received the Conestoga Student Leadership Award for her commitment to her studies and demonstrated passion for students. With over 15 years of experience within Post-Secondary Education, she currently serves as the Executive Director of the Wilfrid Laurier University Graduate Students’ Association. Her focus is effective governance, with advocacy efforts relating to professionalization opportunities for graduate students and increased funding to support non-academic leadership opportunities on campus. She serves on the Testicular Cancer Canada national Board of Directors, the Kitchener-Conestoga Provincial Progressive Conservative Association and on the N.A. MacEachern School Council in Waterloo, Ontario.


Linkedin
 
 

Leadership Team

Responsible for executing the strategies set by the Board of Directors, the Leadership Team ensure relevant, transparent and accountable outcomes in line with Testicular Cancer Canada's vision.

 
 

Alexandre Désy
President and co-founder

Votunteers at Montreal's annual fundraising event, The Balls Ball.

Votunteers at Montreal's annual fundraising event, The Balls Ball.

 

Join the team.