Her Fight, Our Why - Dr. Brace

Dr. Brace's story

Inspired by his mother’s breast cancer journey, Dr. Matthew Brace, a cosmetic surgeon at Guelph Facial Plastics, launched what is now known as Beauty for Hope in 2020. The fundraising initiative, held in October for breast cancer awareness month, supports Waterloo Regional Health Network (WRHN) Cancer Centre.

Dr. Brace and other clinic partners have raised nearly $44,000 to date for breast cancer care – and they’re just getting started. 

Read more of Dr. Brace’s story and discover how you can support Beauty for Hope this October.

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Around October 2019, my mom had a troubling mammogram result. She had been doing biennial mammograms for two decades because of a strong family history with breast cancer – her own mother had just died of the disease – but this time, the mammogram was not routine or reassuring. 

After an ultrasound and biopsy, the diagnosis was clear: invasive ductal carcinoma. Breast cancer.

I remember the news hitting me hard – immense fear, sadness and worry. I was overwhelmed. We had just lost my grandmother, now my mom has breast cancer? My grandma had survived her disease after a double mastectomy and medication, but the drugs caused severe cataracts, making her essentially blind for the late part of her life. Is this my mom’s fate? I have four daughters who share my genes. Are they safe?

I reached out to my colleague at Guelph General Hospital, Dr. Bishop, and he scheduled my mom in for a lumpectomy and lymph node biopsy the following week. With one node testing positive, she was referred on to the Waterloo Regional Health Network (WRHN) Cancer Centre. There, we met with Dr. DeCarolis and Dr. Kobeleva and planned out a treatment plan that included radiation and medication. 

My mom went through her treatments during the COVID-19 pandemic. I worried her weakened state and all her time spent in the hospital would put her at greater risk for the virus. But all through the process she spoke so highly of the care, the treatment and the kindness from the physicians, nurses, and support staff at WRHN.

Throughout my moms journey, I became acutely aware of the ways breast cancer impacts families across our community. By September 2020, I had started thinking of how I could help support patients, like my mom. The following month, October, was breast cancer awareness month – what a perfect time to start a fundraising initiative for the Cancer Centre. 

I am not a breast surgeon, but as a cosmetic surgeon, most of my patients are women. I decided that Guelph Facial Plastics could do something for breast cancer research in October.

Even though it is not in my scope of practice, breast cancer treatment and breast reconstruction affects my patients as much as it has affected my family.

I presented the idea to my staff and everyone was on board. I would donate my time, staff, the facility space and the disposables to do a full Saturday Dysport clinic with all proceeds going to WRHN for breast cancer care. I asked our local Galderma rep if the company would donate Dysport for the fundraiser and he agreed. That’s how it started. 

We held a Saturday clinic in October of 2020 and raised $3,000 in one day. I was ecstatic, but also felt like we had just scratched the surface on what could be something really big. The next year, we did a month-long campaign in October, partnering again with Galderma, and raised $4,185.

It became clear to me that this could be even bigger. I started approaching other clinics with the idea to go all in together in 2023. We rebranded the campaign as Beauty for Hope to let potential medical spas and clinic partners decide what services they wanted to donate proceeds from. 

Partnering with five other clinics in 2023, we raised nearly $18,000. We were on a roll! In 2024, again with the help of five other clinics, we reached nearly $19,000.

This year, we want to go really big. I am so thankful to have my mom as an integral part of my life and my kids’ lives. I have nothing but gratitude for all the healthcare workers who truly cared for her and got her through her breast cancer surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy and who continue to monitor her. 

I want everybody’s mom, wife, sister, or daughter to receive the same care, or better. The only way we can ensure that is to support our local hospital and cancer centre so they can have the best equipment, people and resources they need to care for our loved ones. 

So this fall, if you are planning on getting some neurotoxin, a facial, or another cosmetic facial treatment, consider one of our clinic partners as your provider. They are donating back to your local cancer centre and together, we can ensure that your beauty treatment brings hope to individuals and families who need it most.

Donate Today!