When your mother has breast cancer: Kalan Porter’s story

A tough phone call
The phone call from Janet that revealed the diagnosis of breast cancer was not easy for mother or son. At the time, Kalan was in Toronto, having just finished a sold-out cross-Canada concert tour and getting ready to start work on his second album. “I remember the first thing I did [after she called] was go on to the computer and Google ‘breast cancer life expectancy.’ I was just freaked out,” says Kalan.

Janet was concerned for her son, who she feared would have an even tougher time with the news because of his isolation from family. “I knew he didn’t have anyone that could really support him,” she says. To some extent, Janet was right. Kalan tried to soldier on and immerse himself in his work while keeping tabs on his mother’s health through phone calls, but all he could think about was going home.

Going home
After two months Kalan decided to put his musical endeavours on hold and be with his mom. “It was one of the hardest decisions I’ve had to make, which seems weird because you’d think going home and spending time with your mom would be a no-brainer,” he says. Janet understood the magnitude of his decision; by setting his career aside just as he was hitting it big, Kalan might be sacrificing it completely. “We tried to encourage him to stay in Toronto,” she recalls. “We were concerned that the recording company would not stand behind his decision and that he may be released. We thought that was a huge thing for him to give up.”

Thankfully, Kalan’s record label told him to take as much time as he needed. His fans had a similar reaction. After he announced his mother’s illness on his website, the outpouring of love began. Countless individuals posted their best wishes on online message boards, and a giant album was sent to Janet, filled with prayers, letters and personal notes from Kalan’s fans across the country. Knowing that Kalan’s loyal audience would be there after his self-imposed hiatus was a relief for all the Porters, and it made Kalan’s return home an easier transition, at least professionally.

Change on the home front
Personally, though, it was an emotional adjustment. The home he’d left behind almost two years prior was no longer the same; the woman who once “had all the answers” was now sick and in need of help herself. Chemotherapy had ravaged Janet’s body, leaving her weak and sore. In addition to losing her hair, she endured digestive problems, tenderness and recurring mouth sores, so it was up to Kalan and the family to take charge of the household chores and ensure her needs were met. “The roles were reversed,” says Kalan. “It was the first time in my life that I caught a glimpse of a world without my parents, and it really scared me.”

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