‘I’ve got to do something’: Fort St. John woman organizes silent auction to help friend’s husband suffering with cancer

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — A local woman is going above and beyond to help her best friend and romantic partner in the wake of an epic cancer battle.

Bailie Copeland has been friends with Tues-Dae Broomfield since 2014 when both women worked at Sharp Environmental in Fort St. John.

Since then, both women have described one another as family.

“She invited me to her wedding,” Broomfield recalled to Energeticcity.ca. “We had a lot of the same interests and same values. We just hit it off.

“She’s just family and we have been forever.”

In fact, it was in November 2024 when Copeland was in Fort St. John Hospital, in labour with her now infant daughter, when she received word Broomfield was also in the hospital.

Broomfield was accompanying her partner, Doug Slade, for what was diagnosed as a kidney stone. 

The situation turned out to be much more grim: further analysis required emergency surgery, required to remove a blockage. More tests confirmed stage three rectal cancer.

It was only just the beginning: a doctor shortage meant the couple had to travel to Vancouver for 45 days for radiation treatments, followed by intravenous chemotherapy in Fort St. John. 

Slade travelled back to the Lower Mainland for tumour removal last fall. Complications during the surgery meant he stayed in the intensive care unit for several days. 

The successful surgery meant he had a temporary piece of his small intestine – known as an ileostomy – set up for healing following surgery. 

Unfortunately, further tests showed more tumours along his rectum walls – requiring full removal of the organ. 

However, the surgery to remove the rectum found three new tumours in several places – in his pelvis, small bowel and stomach wall. 

Surgeons reversed Slade’s ileostomy and replaced it with a colostomy – a procedure connecting the large intestine to the outside of the body – requiring him to have a bag for body waste.

“It’s a struggle,” said Slade. “I’m keeping positive on the positive side of things. I’ve been positive this whole past year. Anybody I talk to, I joke about the bag because it has given me a life I never really had.”

Seeing her friend’s frequent visits to Vancouver, coupled with Doug’s inability to earn money as a heavy duty truck driver, sprung Copeland into action.

“The first year, I just left it because it seemed like they were doing it okay,” said Copeland. “When [Broomfield] phoned me after they got this new diagnosis, she said, ‘I don’t know what we’re going to do.’ My brain was like, ‘I have to help them.’”

Since then, Copeland has organized a GoFundMe for expenses for the couple. With a goal of $20,000, it has raised $2,640.

She has also organized a silent auction via Facebook to which several companies and individuals have donated, including Rafter G Land and Cattle Company, FSJ Canine Behaviour and the Hair Bin.

Donations to the auction can be made up until December 20th.

“That’s community,” said Copeland. “We’ve always been a very giving community, and it’s hard this time of year because it’s Christmas. But I thought, ‘I have got to try anyway.’ So far, the response has been good.”

Both Broomfield and Slade are touched by Copeland’s selfless act, and commended her while speaking to Energeticcity.ca.

“She’s going above and beyond,” said Broomfield.

Slade added: “Last year when this all happened, my family back home [in Newfoundland] organized a raffle to raise money. I was overwhelmed with the amount of support I got last year from them.

“For Bailey to step up to the plate, it’s overwhelming. The amount of support I’ve got. It is hard to put into words.”

To donate to the silent auction, email Copeland at hambrookbailie@gmail.com.