HEATHER MATSON: So Petunia, my beautiful little stoma, she’s attached to me for the rest
of my life and, so, I have to protect her and she does better when she’s covered up.
HEATHER MATSON: I love animals. I have been a vet technician for 13 years, best thing
I have ever done. I have rescued several animals. We call this house the land of the misfits.
Every animal that lives here is an animal that has been rejected due to missing a leg,
an eye, being deaf. And it was just ironic that I was going to become the misfit as of
last year. I started vomiting every night. Three months after that I went to the doctor
because I knew something was wrong. I was told it was all in my head because I was ‘too
healthy’, to have something wrong with me.
COMM: At just 34 years old, Heather was diagnosed with stage-3 colon cancer with a genetic mutation.
HEATHER MATSON: The exact words from my doctor was, ‘Heather, I have been doing this for
a long time and I am 99.9% positive that you have colon cancer.’
COMM: Due to the severity of her cancer, Heather had to have her entire large intestine and
rectum removed and a stoma fitted in her body in replacement.
HEATHER MATSON: After surgery, I found out that I was pretty close to death as in the
tumour was growing at such a large pace. I first saw my bag right after surgery and I
just cried. I cried because I knew that this was something I gotta live with for the rest of my life.
HEATHER MATSON: This is where I spent approximately four months of my recovery in a hospital bed.
COMM: It was during her recovery that Heather decided she needed to create something to
make living with her stoma bag easier.
HEATHER MATSON: I sat right here on this chair to be exact and said, ‘I have never sewn
a day in my life and I am going to learn how to sew and make my bag covers.’ And
I sat here for three days learning how to sew by hand. It was probably one of the hardest
things I ever did. So, my roommate, my best friend decided to buy me my first sewing machine.
HEATHER MATSON: Casey has been an amazing supporter.
CASEY GWINN: She struggled and I watched her, ‘I can not do this,’ and she would throw
a little fit. And I said, ‘Look, just keep on trying.’ I said, ‘You don’t get it
perfect on the first time.’ So I gave her all my change one day and it was enough for
a nice little sewing machine and she’s really enjoyed doing it. It’s been fun watching her.’
HEATHER MATSON: I have several favourite covers. When I want to have a strong day, I want to
be that independent person, I like my Wonder Woman. If it’s a nice night and I am going
out with my girlfriends and I want to feel sexy then I got to go more for the lace and
satin. So, it’s a toss-up. I started making them just for me. That’s all I wanted, just
to make myself confident and sexy and feel like I am normal.
HEATHER MATSON: After having surgery, I started going to Ostomy support group. I brought my
bags and man, they just, you should have seen their eyes light up like, ‘Oh! This is amazing.’
Especially to the women. They just were, overjoyed. The biggest, happiest moment is when I even
heard it from them saying, ‘You are going to make us feel beautiful again.’
HEATHER MATSON: I think with having a bag cover and the confidence for me, I can personally
say I like accessories. This is just like adding a little lace to a support system.
MANDIE ARMSTRONG: When she started the bag covers, I noticed that she perked up a little
bit and didn’t seem as stressed up. I mean she was still worried about everything but it
gave her an outlet of creativity. I think by creating these bags she is putting her
heart and personality into them and people see that and it helps encourage other people
who are going through the same thing. I know that the bags have just helped so many people
just feel better about themselves.
HEATHER MATSON: When people tell me thank you for what I am doing for them, I feel like
I finally have a purpose. I feel like I am doing something not for myself but for other
people like me and it’s great. I am on the top of the world. When I was diagnosed with
stage-3 colon cancer, I was told by the oncologist the survival rate is 11%. Hearing percentage
isn’t the way that you want to be told because that’s cutting your life short. So, my doctor
now says, ‘We are not going by percentage. We are going to go by the health of you.’
I feel pretty good nowadays. I still have a few rough patches but I am happy, I am fortunate.
When I wake up every day, I thank the amazing doctors that I had to let me enjoy my sunrises and my sunsets.