ECPC's member of the month December 2008 is:

Tom en Tonia van der Wal

Our Organisation

Stichting Diagnose Kanker (SDK), The Netherlands, has about 3000 (non-paying) members.

My story

We are Tom and Tonia van der Wal, founders of the ‘Stichting Diagnose Kanker’ (SDK) (Diagnosis Cancer Foundation).

Tom was diagnosed with Melanomia metastasis in 2000 and has been treated in the well known Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital /NKI in Amsterdam. he has survived his cancer for more than 9 years now, thanks to the physicians and the care of the close family and friends around me.

The advocacy work started with a personal website to inform the family. Right now our foundation supports thousands of cancer patients and their loved ones in The Netherlands and Belgium. The foundation also supports Slovakian oncology hospitals and 'charitas' organizations with medical equipment, clothing and hospital beds.. See also www.gezondheidszorginnood.nl

Therefore Tom and Tonia are aware about the serious health and cancer problems in the new European countries.

'We are very proud to be a full member of ECPC'.

In our opinion, every cancer patient organization should join ECPC. We are really impressed about what ECPC has achieved during the last years for all those European cancer patients and their loved ones. National cancer patients organization must cooperate,  because together we make the difference and together we can make the necessary progress in advocacy and treatment for every European citizen!   ‘Nothing about us without us’ is possible if every cancer patients organization has the will  to go for it.

May we invite you to meet us on the next summit? We would appreciate it.

How to contact me

Please send an email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it