Julie Dermatas and Nicole Mastrandrea joined the Niagara Cancer Crushers team this past weekend for the Rankin Cancer Run.
This year, Dermatas, a Clinical Manager of Inpatient Oncology at the Walker Family Cancer Centre, laced up her running shoes not just for a cause, but for the people behind it — colleagues, patients, family, and friends whose lives have been touched by cancer.
“Cancer has touched the lives of so many on our team, making this cause deeply personal for all of us,” said Dermatas. Running was our way of supporting patients beyond the walls of the Cancer Centre.”
One of those impacted by cancer was Nancy, a beloved nurse who had worked alongside Dermatas in the systemic suite. Nancy passed away in March, and the loss was still too raw for her close-knit work family. “They weren’t going to submit a team this year,” Dermatas said. “It was just too fresh.” But Dermatas couldn’t sit out. She joined the Niagara Health Cancer Crushers determined to run in Nancy’s memory and for everyone still in the fight.
For 20 years, Dermatas has devoted her career to oncology. From administering chemotherapy as a young nurse to now leading operations at the centre, she’s walked with countless patients through their hardest moments.
“You see them in the community years later, living their lives. And you remember their faces. You remember those people.”
“There was one person that I used to see as a patient and now their grandchildren are on the same hockey team as my son.”
This year marked the return of the Rankin Cancer Run in its full, in-person form, for the first time since 2019. It brought back memories of past events: meeting at a colleague’s home in Port Weller, walking as a team, then gathering for a backyard barbecue. “It was always this annual team-building moment--a wonderful chance to just be together for a great cause.,” said Dermatas.
Dermatas’ run this year carries even more personal weight. She lost her father-in-law to cancer two years ago. “It’s very personal,” she said.
Though she hasn’t run regularly in a while, Dermatas accepted her colleague Mastrandrea’s challenge to run the full 5K. “When you think about what our patients go through every day, --I’m just running, I can do this.”
An oncology nurse at the Walker Family Cancer Centre, Mastrandrea participated in the Rankin Run for the fifth time this year — but this time, she ran in memory of her dad, John, who passed away in March. “He battled two different cancers in his lifetime; he was the definition of strength,” Mastrandrea shared. “He was an amazing dad and I miss him every day.”
Mastrandrea has been with Niagara Health (NH) for ten years, spending her career educating and supporting patients undergoing anti-cancer treatments. “People often assume that working in a cancer centre is always sad. But we witness incredible resilience — patients who overcome adversity and show more positivity than you’d ever expect,” she said. “Seeing patients every day and what they go through motivates me.”
Like many others on the NH Cancer Crushers team, Mastrandrea isn’t just a caregiver — she’s also a family member grieving a loved one lost to cancer.
“My hope is that with ongoing fundraising efforts like the Rankin Run, we’ll be able to provide the necessary supports to patients and families living with cancer in our region.”
For both Mastrandrea and Dermatas, the Rankin Cancer Run is more than a race. It’s a symbol of solidarity, compassion, and resilience.
“I just want to be part of it,” said Dermatas. “To support our patients, to be part of the community, to show we care.”
And in doing so, Dermatas and Mastrandrea are not just running — they’re honoring every life touched by cancer.
