Tanja

On Dec 2 2024, we lost Tanja Harrison from metastatic breast cancer. Tanja was a daughter,  sister, wife, mom, aunt, and friend to so many. She was 53 years old.

She will also be greatly missed by the University and Library communities in Atlantic Canada, and the countless people that she touched along the way.

She became an advocate for supplemental breast screening for women in Nova Scotia after she discovered her own lump in 2023, despite having dense breasts (Cat C) and other health concerns that were largely ignored by healthcare professionals. It was not until she was under cancer care did she realize the gravity of the lack of available supplemental screening for women in Nova Scotia. Tanja was a firm believer that if she had access sooner, she may have been able to live a longer life with more quality than what she was handed.

Being diagnosed with Stage 4 MBC  was a blow and Tanja understood what that meant.

It didn’t stop her though- Tanja continued to live life to the fullest, continued to advocate for herself and others, and enjoyed all the milestones, big and little,  that she met along the way. She continued with her love for learning and travel through her treatment, by continuing with her PhD studies, attending a conference in Mexico, trips to New York and Denver with her Family, and UK with friends this past August (the picture in Tanja’s Bio was taken by me (Patti Greenlaw), at our “Royal Tea” service at our hotel in London, The Rubens at the Palace. We felt very fancy that day!) 

We honour Tanja’s spirit and memory and the life she led by continuing to advocate on her behalf, until all women of Nova Scotia are offered supplemental screening for dense breasts and have the resources and ability to navigate their own cancer care.