03/08/2026
In honour of International Women’s Day, we are shining a light on the extraordinary women who motivate and uplift our community at Halton Healthcare.
Today, Adrienne, Chief Communications Officer, is recognizing her cousin, Shaunna Burke.
Shaunna has already pushed herself to incredible heights on Mount Everest. She has attempted to summit twice but needed to turn around after reaching base camp the first time. She reached the summit on her second attempt and last year ran a marathon at Base Camp while living with metastatic breast cancer. This year, she is planning her third attempt to reach the summit.
Her determination to live fully and discover is truly awe-inspiring. After completing her marathon, she also finished an intensive silent meditation retreat and now practices one
hour of seated meditation daily.
Adrienne shares that she has always admired her cousin Shaunna, but her cancer journey has deepened that pride even more. Shaunna has chosen to live and navigate treatment
her way, building care teams that respect her goals and individuality. Now, as she works on a book, Dying to Live: A Memoir of Climbing Higher than Ever. Her journey stands as a
powerful reminder of why patient-centred care truly matters.
Today, we celebrate Shaunna and the women who show us what courage, resilience and purpose look like.