Published: June 2025

Between a quarter to a third of people having major liver surgery, often due to cancer, will need a blood transfusion. Now, imagine being able to reduce the need for this type of transfusion and the impact it would have on a global scale. This has been a vision for Dr. Guillaume Martel, a surgeon and scientist, who holds the donor-funded Arnie Vered Family Chair in Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Research at The Ottawa Hospital and University of Ottawa.

When Dr. Martel was training as a fellow in Montreal, he witnessed a technique for liver surgery that was new to him. It reduces the amount of blood loss during a liver operation, and the idea both fascinated and intrigued him. But when he did some digging, the young doctor realized there wasn’t much background on the technique and there were no clinical trials — no concrete evidence to prove its value.

In August 2019, Dr. Guillaume Martel was announced as the first Arnie Vered Family Chair in Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Research. Dr. Martel is a gifted surgeon at The Ottawa Hospital who has saved and prolonged the lives of countless patients, particularly those with cancer. An international search conducted for this Research Chair found the best candidate right here in Ottawa. This Research Chair provides the opportunity for innovative clinical trials and cutting-edge surgical techniques that will benefit our patients for years to come. This was made possible through the generous support of the Vered Family, alongside other donors.

“When Arnie got sick, he needed to travel to Montreal for treatment. It was so hard for him to be away from home and our six children. We wanted to help make it possible for people to receive treatment right here in Ottawa. This Chair is an important part of his legacy.” – Liz Vered, donor

Launching the largest trial of its kind

When he arrived at The Ottawa Hospital, it became a personal mission to learn more about the technique, known as hypovolemic phlebotomy, where a controlled amount of blood is removed from the patient before liver surgery, then reinfused back into the patient afterward. Once he and his team, including anesthetist Dr. Chris Wherrett, perfected the technique, they decided to do their own research, in order to have concrete evidence showing the impact of this practice-changing medicine.

Often, donations from the community help get the early phase research projects off the ground, attracting large-scale funding through grants to launch in-depth investigations. Once Dr. Martel’s team had tested the safety and feasibility of the technique in major liver surgery as part of a phase 1 trial at our hospital, they launched the largest trial of its kind, thanks to funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

Over five years, ending in 2023, 446 people were recruited at four Canadian hospitals, including The Ottawa Hospital, to participate. “Once under anesthetic, patients were randomly selected to receive either hypovolemic phlebotomy, to decrease blood transfusions, or to receive usual care,” explains Dr. Martel.

Only the anesthesiologist knew which patients were in which group. 

Raising her hand to participate in research

One of those patients enrolled was Rowan Ladd, a former analyst for the Department of National Defence, who was diagnosed with colon cancer in December 2020 at age 44.

“I was so scared and fearful — fearful that I was going to die.”

— Rowan Ladd

In the time leading up to her diagnosis, she recalls having many signs that she shrugged off as stress-related, so when the mother of two heard she had cancer, she was shocked. “I was so scared and fearful — fearful that I was going to die.”

Within three months of her diagnosis, she had a colectomy, a surgical procedure that removes all or part of the colon, and four months later she was back to work.

However, two years later, a regular MRI check showed a spot on her liver. Her cancer had spread, it was devastating news, and that’s when she met Dr. Martel. “You hear stage 4, and you think that’s it. But Dr. Martel explained that not every stage 4 means immediate death. He had patients he operated on who were alive years later,” says Rowan.

“I’m a big proponent of research. This study sounded interesting because they had great results in the pilot trial.”

— Rowan Ladd

When it came time to remove the tumour, Rowan didn’t hesitate to raise her hand to participate in the clinical trial. “I’m a big proponent of research. This study sounded interesting because they had great results in the pilot trial,” says Rowan. “You’re told before surgery that the liver is so full of blood vessels that there are risks of major bleeding. I thought it was great that researchers were trying things to reduce those risks.” 

It was one thing to say yes to the trial, but Rowan was hopeful to be picked for the technique. Her surgery took place in October 2022, and later learned she was in fact randomly selected to have hypovolemic phlebotomy.

Reducing the risk of blood loss

For patients in the hypovolemic phlebotomy group, the anesthesiologist removed the equivalent of one blood donation (about 450 mL) into a blood bag before surgery. If the patient needed blood during surgery, their blood was used first. Otherwise, it was re-infused before they woke up.  

“Blood loss is a major concern in liver surgery. Taking out half a litre of blood right before major liver surgery is the best thing we’ve found so far for reducing blood loss and transfusions,” says Dr. Martel. “It works by lowering the blood pressure in the liver. It’s safe, simple, inexpensive, and should be considered for any liver surgery with a high risk of bleeding.” 

“Being part of this trial was a really positive experience, and the team was wonderful. I’m so glad I was picked, and I’m glad it will help other people.” 

— Rowan Ladd

For Rowan, she was thrilled to be selected. She did not need a blood transfusion, and after four days in hospital, she was back home with her family in Dunrobin. Now, two years later she remains cancer-free.

“I looked at this surgery like it saved my life. I was unlucky to get cancer, but it woke me up. Now I live life, and I really enjoy it, where before I was just existing,” she says. “Being part of this trial was a really positive experience, and the team was wonderful. I’m so glad I was picked, and I’m glad it will help other people.” 

The cost of saving blood for those who need it most

Liver surgery is considered a major operation. There is a higher-than-average risk of major bleeding and a consequence of that is the need for a blood transfusion during the operation to help keep the patient alive, help them recover, and thrive.

“Blood transfusions can save lives, but if you don’t need one to save your life then it’s better to avoid it,” says Dr. Dean Fergusson, senior author on the study and Deputy Scientific Director, Clinical Research at The Ottawa Hospital.

Meet Dr. Dean Fergusson

Learn more about Dr. Dean Fergusson, senior author of the study and Deputy Scientific Director of Clinical Research at The Ottawa Hospital.

Read our Q&A with Dr. Fergusson

“There’s not an infinite amount of blood available in hospitals — it’s a precious resource.”

— Dr. Guillaume Martel

One blood transfusion in Canada costs about $500, mainly in human resources. The blood bags and tubes used for hypovolemic phlebotomy cost less than $30. As Dr. Martel points out, “There’s not an infinite amount of blood available in hospitals — it’s a precious resource.”

He also raises that blood collection has a considerable carbon emission. “We take it from donors and clinics, then we transport the blood. It needs to be processed and separated into components in a facility, then it needs to be stored. That all adds up to a pretty significant carbon footprint,” adds Dr. Martel.

What does this mean for patients?

Hospital blood bank data and patient medical records show 7.6% of those who received hypovolemic phlebotomy had blood transfusions in the 30 days after surgery compared to 16.1% of those who received usual care. Hypovolemic phlebotomy caused no more complications than usual care.  

“With this technique, your odds of requiring a blood transfusion drop by half, without any added risk to you. So, it's a win-win.” 

— Dr. Guillaume Martel

Surgeons also say the technique made surgery easier because there was less blood obscuring the places they needed to cut.

According to Dr. Martel, this is a gamechanger for patients anywhere having major liver surgery. “With this technique, your odds of requiring a blood transfusion drop by half, without any added risk to you. So, it’s a win-win.” 

Now the goal is to spread the word and educate surgeons around the world. The hospitals that participated in the trial, including The Ottawa Hospital, have implemented the technique as standard of care, and it’s believed other hospitals globally will start to adopt it when they learn about the transformational results.

Listen to Dr. Guillaume Martel in episode 40 of Pulse Podcast discuss complex abdominal surgeries and the Arnie Vered Family Chair in Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Research.

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Categories: Cancer, Cancer

Published: May 2025

The Ottawa Hospital is creating a comprehensive epilepsy program — a one-stop shop, if you will — that will have a huge impact on patients. As a complement to this specialized care, the hospital completed its first-ever stereoelectroencephalography (stereo EEG) procedure on January 13, 2025. This minimally invasive surgery identifies the precise areas in the brain where seizures originate and provides care teams with detailed information to develop more targeted and effective treatment plans for those with epilepsy.

Previously, patients from our region needed to travel to Southern Ontario for this type of procedure. Now, care can be delivered closer to home, saving patients time, money, and allowing them to stay close to family.  

“We’ve all seen it on TV or in the movies.”

Epilepsy is a neurological disorder, and a seizure is a sudden burst of electrical activity in the brain that causes a temporary disturbance in the way brain cells communicate with each other. The kind of seizure a person has depends on which part and how much of the brain is affected by the electrical disturbance.

A seizure may take many different forms, including a blank stare, uncontrolled movements, altered awareness, odd sensations, such as smelling something that’s not actually there, or convulsions.

Dr. Tadeu Fantaneanu, the Medical Director of the Epilepsy Program in our EEG laboratory, explains the latter is known as tonic-clonic seizure, previously called a grand mal seizure. “That’s when the person falls to the ground, foams at the mouth, and shakes. We’ve all seen it on TV or in movies.”

Our program serves approximately 13,000 people living with epilepsy in our region. We also have what’s called a transfer and transition clinic with CHEO. “Those are patients who have had epilepsies since they were quite young, potentially since birth or later on in their childhood years or adolescent years, and they get referred to us when it comes time to transfer into adult care,” he says.

According to Dr. Fantaneanu, epilepsy can affect anyone at any age, but there are two peaks — prior to age six and over 65. In young patients, it’s usually because of genetics, and in older patients, it’s often because of the damage that a brain will accumulate over a lifetime.

Building a comprehensive epilepsy program

In the last five years, our hospital’s Epilepsy Program has grown tremendously, thanks to a partnership with the Ministry of Health and a $12-million grant, as well as donations from the community. As Dr. Fantaneanu explains, the goal of the grant is for The Ottawa Hospital to become a regional epilepsy surgery centre. That’s a provincial designation and it will ensure that we will have the ability to perform high-level surgeries that are not currently available in this region.

Dr. Fantaneanu says this is something patients in Eastern Ontario desperately need. “They could have their tests and care done here, but eventually, if surgery was needed, they would be a referred to a hospital in Toronto or London — as many as seven to eight hours away.”

Travel that takes time, money, and patients away from their loved ones and careers. “Patients would have to be away from their families at a vulnerable time in their lives, when they’re admitted in the hospital, potentially after a brain surgery,” he adds.

Over the course of the past several years, Dr. Fantaneanu and his team have built up testing capabilities for patients and the monitoring unit continues to grow. It’s where the team evaluates patients who have seizures. It’s currently a four-bed unit and at the new hospital campus it will be a six-bed unit — all private rooms. 

Attracting the best and the brightest in epilepsy care

It was the impressive plans to build a comprehensive epilepsy centre that attracted Dr. Alan Chalil to our hospital in 2024, to become the Surgical Director of the Epilepsy Program. He is a neurosurgeon with training focused mainly on epilepsy and surgical treatment of epilepsy — that includes implantation of stereo EEG. He completed his training in London, home of the largest surgical epilepsy centre in Canada, and Emory University in Atlanta.

“It was a very unique opportunity because it seemed like bringing in my training would be the last piece of the puzzle to fit into that whole picture in terms of how to treat epilepsy,” says Dr. Chalil. “Coming to a new team that’s being developed was a nice opportunity and also a big challenge.”

“Epilepsy surgery is about finding that delicate balance: freeing the patient from seizures while preserving the brain’s normal function. That’s why it means so much to me."

— Dr. Alan Chalil

As he explains, while epilepsy surgery has been practiced for over 80 years, the transition to stereo EEG in North America continues to highlight many unknowns. “Epilepsy doesn’t have to define a person’s life, but its unpredictable nature can still disrupt it in profound ways. Seizures can interfere with everything — work, relationships, social life, even financial stability,” explains Dr. Chalil. “Epilepsy surgery is about finding that delicate balance: freeing the patient from seizures while preserving the brain’s normal function. That’s why it means so much to me.”

Meet neurosurgeon Dr. Alan Chalil

Learn more about how our experts in The Ottawa Hospital’s life-changing Surgical Epilepsy Program are giving patients their lives back every day.

Read our Q&A with Dr. Chalil

The first stereo EEG at The Ottawa Hospital

An EEG is the recording of brain waves by putting small electrodes on the patient’s head, which are connected to a computer, and recording electrical activity in the brain. It helps diagnose a variety of brain conditions.

In contrast, the stereo EEG places these electrodes inside the brain through tiny pinholes. In January 2025, Dr. Chalil performed our hospital’s first-ever stereo EEG. This minimally invasive surgery identifies the precise areas in the brain where seizures originate.

“There could be anywhere between 10 to 20 electrodes per patient. We make a small nick in the skin, like a pinhole, and then drill into the skull,” he explains. “We have a defined trajectory — we know exactly where we are going and what structures we’re going to pass through to get to our target. Then we put the electrode in. It takes about 10 to 15 minutes per electrode.”

Once the patient wakes up, with the implanted electrodes, they get a CT scan. From there, Dr. Chalil will build a model for his colleagues on the neurology team that tells them where each electrode is placed in the brain. This helps determine where the seizure is starting and where it is spreading.

“The patient is then admitted to the Epilepsy Monitoring Unit (EMU) for a week or up to a month, sometimes even longer, until we get enough seizures to study,” he says.

The team then correlates the electrical signal they saw from the electrodes during a seizure, along with their previous information, and come up with a treatment plan. Treatment options can vary from removing a small section of the brain, to deep-brain stimulation, or even a newly acquired piece of technology called the radio frequency generator.

This new tech can be brought right to the patient’s bedside where Drs. Fantaneanu and Chalil can send an electric signal to generate a lesion that’s about 3 to 5mm thick. “It’s very small, but it’s very effective. And that lesion could cause a disruption in the epilepsy network and eliminate seizures up to 30% of the time,” Dr. Chalil explains.

While that number isn’t huge, he adds it’s reasonably effective because no other surgery is required.

“It's the last piece in a big picture to make Ottawa a centre of excellence for treatment of epilepsy.”

— Dr. Alan Chalil

As the team continues to further establish the program, they look to add new laser technology to provide patients with even better results, which can eliminate seizures from 60 to 75% of the time, depending on the type of seizure. They also hope to use these techniques in the coming year, driven in large part by an ongoing randomized controlled trial. “It’s called the slate trial, and it will give us a definitive number of comparisons between temporal lobe resection and laser ablations in treating a specific type of temporal lope epilepsy,” says Dr. Chalil.

For now, the completion of five stereo EEGs is a significant step. “It’s the last piece in a big picture to make Ottawa a centre of excellence for treatment of epilepsy. If we demonstrate that we can do it, interpret it safely, and produce meaningful surgeries out of it, then these patients will not need to travel anywhere else,” says Dr. Chalil.

Learn more about The Ottawa Hospital’s Epilepsy Program in episode xx of Pulse Podcast with Dr. Tadeu Fantaneanu.

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Categories: Innovation and Technology, Strengthening Critical Services, Technology

Published: April 2025

Three times a week, you’ll likely find Chantal Theriault kickboxing to stay in shape — physically and mentally. It’s a sport she picked up easily from her father, Jean-Yves “The Iceman” Theriault — a world kickboxing champion. It’s the strength she developed from this sport, along with her sense of humour, that helped her navigate through an astonishing medical diagnosis five years ago. At the age of 37, Chantal learned she had early-onset Parkinson’s disease — this was one hit she didn’t see coming.

The distressing news for this otherwise healthy young woman was delivered during the peak of the pandemic in the summer of 2020. Initially, there were many more questions than answers. Still, never one to back down from a challenge, no matter how insurmountable this one appeared to be, Chantal came to terms with the news, educated herself, and put her trust in the committed physicians and researchers at The Ottawa Hospital (TOH).

Chantal is all too familiar with our hospital but from a different vantage point. She’s a program coordinator in the Critical Care Department. She’s been a part of the TOH family for 22 years — she started in Admitting Services and worked her way to where she is today on the Intensive Care Unit team. It’s a team for which she has the utmost respect, and she plays an important role.

“Any resident that must do their rotation in the ICU comes through me. I do the scheduling for the Civic and the General campuses. There are about 300 residents that come through the year,” explains Chantal.

Working in the ICU for so many years, she has garnered the utmost respect from her colleagues for the high quality of her work and her pleasant demeanour.

It started with tremors in her hand

As Chantal was busy with her work, during the height of the pandemic, she developed a tremor in her arm. “It started in my hand and then made its way up my arm, and eventually I could feel it in my leg a little bit. I initially thought I pinched a nerve in my neck.”

“When I walked, he noticed that my right arm didn’t swing. That was a big sign. After a few other tests, I learned I had early-onset Parkinson’s.”

— Chantal Theriault

As an avid kickboxer, she exercises regularly and has dealt with a minor injury or ache in the past. She was going to try her chiropractor, but she kept putting it off and eventually, it was recommended she might want to see her family physician, as the symptoms progressed.

After several tests, including an MRI, which showed nothing concerning, she met with a neurologist at The Ottawa Hospital, who put Chantal through several physical tests. “When I walked, he noticed that my right arm didn’t swing. That was a big sign. After a few other tests, I learned I had early-onset Parkinson’s.”

At that point, Chantal’s mind just completely shut down, as she describes it. “The two people that I think of right away when I hear Parkinson’s are Michael J. Fox and Muhammad Ali. I wondered, ‘What the hell do I have in common with these people?’”

What is Parkinson’s disease?

Parkinson’s disease is a movement disorder that affects the nervous system. The symptoms start slowly but progress over time, and although tremor is a common symptom, slowness and stiffness are additional features present early on. The risk of Parkinson’s increases with age, and men are more likely to develop it than women. When a person is diagnosed before the age of 40, it’s often referred to as early-onset Parkinson’s.

That day of her diagnosis, Chantal went home and had what she describes as a moment of woe, and then she moved on — grateful to work at The Ottawa Hospital and to be surrounded by some of the best care team members in the world.

“There will be mobility issues someday but that's down the road. Right now, I have things to do. I have a life to live.”

— Chantal Theriault

“I don’t know what this means or what the progression timeline looks, but I’ve got a team behind me — I’ve got this. There will be mobility issues someday but that’s down the road. Right now, I have things to do. I have a life to live.”

All about Parkinson's

For many people, the first time they heard about Parkinson’s disease might have been when Michael J. Fox shared his diagnosis in 1998. For many others, the first time they heard about Parkinson’s might have been when someone they know received a diagnosis — a parent, a friend, a co-worker, or maybe even themselves.

Learn More

She also used humour to help get through some of those early days of living with Parkinson’s, including a new tattoo that she got done on the inside of her right arm. It reads, ‘Shaken not stirred’.

Another big step in this new journey for Chantal was meeting Dr. Michael Schlossmacher, Director of the Neuroscience Program at our hospital. “He is the most incredible human being — super supportive, super down to Earth,” says Chantal. “He takes the time, and he encouraged me to bring a family member during my follow-ups if they have questions.”

That’s also around the time where the impact of research came into play for this young woman. She’s enrolled in two research projects at our hospital, including one Dr. Schlossmacher is leading.

The global impact of Parkinson’s research

It’s research that drives Chantal. She’s put all her efforts into helping to advance treatment options and hopefully to help scientists find a cure for the disease someday. That’s what motivated her to create the Kick It for Parkinson’s fundraiser, which supported The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research — an organization that has funded research here at The Ottawa Hospital.

In December 2024, an international team led by Dr. Schlossmacher received a US$6 million grant from the Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) initiative, in partnership with The Michael J. Fox Foundation, to continue their work on reduced sense of smell in Parkinson’s disease — a testament to our leadership in research.

“Our interdisciplinary team is on the leading edge of this topic, making discoveries that could one day impact diagnosis, prevention, and possibly, patient care.”

— Dr. Michael Schlossmacher

“Understanding the loss in sense of smell in Parkinson’s is having its moment right now,” says Dr. Schlossmacher. “Our interdisciplinary team is on the leading edge of this topic, making discoveries that could one day impact diagnosis, prevention, and possibly, patient care.”

More recently in another study, the first clinical trial of its kind showed interpersonal psychotherapy may be better than other types of psychotherapy for treating depression in patients living with Parkinson’s. People with Parkinson’s often experience depression, but there’s been little research to show what type of psychotherapy works best. 

The trial, led by Dr. David Grimes, Director of the Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders Clinic and Dr. Diana Koszycki at the University of Ottawa, assigned 63 people with Parkinson’s and depression to one of two types of psychotherapy for 12 sessions. The group with interpersonal psychotherapy had significantly lower depression scores.

Director of the Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Clinic

Find out how Dr. Grimes got pulled into the field of neurology and what advice he has for people diagnosed with Parkinson’s.

Read our Q&A with Dr. Grimes

“Psychotherapy is an important option for treating depression in Parkinson’s. Healthcare providers should consider recommending it alone or in combination with antidepressants,” says Dr. Grimes.

It’s patients like Chantal that make this type of research possible. “I’m very proud to have the opportunity to be part of the studies I’m involved in. This was a life-changing diagnosis, and if taking part in these studies is what’s going to make a difference, then I’m going keep doing it,” she says.

Dr. Schlossmacher adds that working with patients is a privilege and calls their courage and commitment “humbling”. He refers to Chantal as a source of inspiration and motivation for him and his research team.

Building a new neuroscience centre

The new neuroscience centre, to be located at the new hospital campus on Carling Avenue at Preston Street, will have the potential to be among the best in the world. It will combine cutting-edge research with clinical treatments to accelerate the development of new therapies for conditions such as Parkinson’s, stroke, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, and more to help patients just like Chantal.

"“There's going be a cure for Parkinson's, maybe not in my lifetime but there will be. I hope that I get to see it and then I can say, I was part of that study.”

— Chantal Theriault

As the research continues to move forward, Chantal will be more than a spectator as she continues to help advance scientific discoveries through her participation and fundraising whenever she can.

As her tremors are controlled today by medication, she’s proud to be a part of the TOH family that’s working towards progress. “There’s going be a cure for Parkinson’s, maybe not in my lifetime but there will be. I hope that I get to see it and then I can say, I was part of that study, or when Dr. Schlossmacher gets the Nobel Prize or something, I can say I know him.”

As she takes a moment to pause, tears fill her eyes, then Chantal continues. “It makes me proud. It makes me very proud to work for this organization.”

Download or steam episode 108 of Pulse Podcast to hear from Chantal Theriault and her journey with early-onset Parkinson’s.

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Categories: Neuro, Parkinson's, World-Leading Research, World-Leading Research, World-Leading Research

Published: March 2025

Imagine the sensation of a sudden, sharp electric shock to your face, intense and unyielding. Now, imagine that happening repeatedly, day after day, without any warning — pain so excruciating it brings you to your knees. This was a daily struggle for Michelle Kupé. After months of testing, she was diagnosed with trigeminal neuralgia, a rare condition that had a debilitating effect on her life. Desperate for relief, she sought help from The Ottawa Hospital’s neurosurgery team, hoping to regain control of her life.

In December 2017, Michelle scheduled an appointment with her dentist to investigate a strange buzzing sensation in her cheek, which she initially thought was a tooth infection or dental problem. After taking x-rays, the dentist found no issues with her teeth, but the sensation persisted, leaving Michelle with the feeling that something wasn’t right.

By the time the new year arrived, Michelle was preparing to set off on a cruise with her girlfriends. However, the persistent buzzing sensation and the overall sense that something wasn’t right led her to return to the dentist’s office. With no clear explanation for the strange sensations, she was prescribed antibiotics to rule out a sinus infection or other potential issues. During her trip, Michelle couldn’t shake a nagging thought. “The entire time I was there, I kept thinking, ‘Something has happened to me… and I’m not well.’ I was deeply aware that my life was taking a different turn. Something was wrong.”

Trigeminal neuralgia’s excruciating progression

As the buzzing sensation and pain intensified, Michelle returned to the dentist for a third time. It was then the dentist suspected the symptoms might suggest a rare condition called trigeminal neuralgia — a condition that causes severe, electric-shock-like pain on one side of the face. The dentist advised her to make an appointment with her family doctor and see a neurologist as soon as possible.

“It went from this buzzing sensation in my face to feeling like I was being electrocuted. It felt like I was being stabbed, like an electric current was running through my face.”

— Michelle Kupé

As she waited to see a neurologist, the symptoms worsened. “It went from this buzzing sensation in my face to feeling like I was being electrocuted. It felt like I was being stabbed, like an electric current was running through my face.”

As each attack eased, Michelle was terrified to touch or move any muscle in her face, fearing the pain would return. Eventually, she saw a neurologist, who confirmed that she had trigeminal neuralgia. But while one mystery was solved, another emerged. There are three potential causes for this condition: multiple sclerosis, a brain tumor, or vascular compression.

All about trigeminal neuralgia

Trigeminal neuralgia is a rare and exceedingly painful chronic pain disorder that involves the trigeminal nerve on the side of the face. The nerve runs from the top of the ear and then splits into three branches that run to the eye, the cheek, and the jaw.

Learn more

As Michelle waited for an MRI, she continued to run her successful real estate business and care for her five children. Her condition remained stable with medication into the spring of 2018, with occasional, painful flare-ups. But, as time progressed, things started to deteriorate quickly, with attacks becoming more frequent and debilitating. Eating, brushing teeth, and even smiling were becoming unbearable.

“I remember thinking, I don’t think I’m going to be able to go on. Something as simple as a light breeze could cause an attack,” she recalls. “With thoughts of another winter approaching, my husband and I talked about moving somewhere warm because I couldn’t imagine a cold wind hitting my face.”

Debilitating shocks to Michelle’s body

MRI results eventually revealed her condition was the result of a vascular compression and she was referred to Dr. Adam Sachs, current Division Head of Neurosurgery at The Ottawa Hospital.

Dr. Sachs and his team see patients for a wide variety of facial pain, but he says trigeminal neuralgia can be one of the worst. It affects the trigeminal nerves, which carry signals from the face to the brain, and causes intense pain like an electric shock on one side of the face. “The MRI showed that a vessel loop of an artery that goes to the brain stem and cerebellum was compressing the trigeminal nerve — that was the cause of the pain,” he explains.

Director of Neuromodulation and Functional Neurosurgery and Scientist at The Ottawa Hospital

Find out how Dr. Sachs thinks brains are like computers, what he loves about The Ottawa Hospital, and why you might find him fighting a co-worker on his break.

Read our Q&A with Dr. Sachs

“It feels like a high voltage electrical shock running through your face or some people describe it as a dagger being jammed into their face.”

— Dr. Adam Sachs

For patients, like Michelle, the condition can be unbearable. “It feels like a high voltage electrical shock running through your face, or some people describe it as a dagger being jammed into their face,” explains Dr. Sachs. “People are using those terms not to be colourful, but because that’s the closest thing they can come up with, and we hear these terms again and again.”

Modern microsurgical technique with the help of Teflon

While surgical treatment has been available for decades, recent advances have provided new treatment options — modern microsurgical techniques that are more effective and safer. As Dr. Sachs explains, the tools they have today are state-of-the-art.

When it comes time for surgery, it’s an intricate procedure with the patient’s head turned because the surgical team must access a small space at the back of the head called the cerebellopontine angle or CP angle. “That’s where we see all the nerves and the arteries that go to very critical structures of the brain stem. It’s close to the facial nerve, and if damaged, it results in facial palsy.”

In Michelle’s case, the artery had a large vein wrapped around the nerve, and so Dr. Sachs called in his colleague Dr. John Sinclair to assist with the surgery because of the complexity.

“We decided even though it was a large vein, to carefully dissect it off the nerve in addition to the artery. Then we put little Teflon pads under both the vein and the artery to keep them away from the trigeminal nerve,” says Dr. Sachs.

The Teflon creates a physical barrier that will keep the vein and the artery from the nerve, but also keep the blood flowing through them, so they will continue to function.

“We tear it up to microscopic pieces of the Teflon, shaped like cigars, and it creates a barrier because it stays — it’s not going to absorb into the body,” explains Dr. Sachs.

For the most complex parts of the procedure, the neurosurgical team uses high-magnification microscopes and microscopic knives.

Pain is an invisible disease

When it comes to cases of trigeminal neuralgia, our hospital sees patients from across Eastern Ontario. According to Dr. Sachs, not all cases are debilitating like Michelle’s, but for many, the pain they are experiencing is made worse by the fact that those around them don’t always understand what the patient is going through.

"She wasn't even able to smile or laugh for a year. Every time she would smile, she’d have these attacks and pain. So, treating pain is rewarding as a physician because we're able to help relieve it, and that can be transformative for the patient.”

— Dr. Adam Sachs

“Michelle is a very personable individual. She loves to be around family, friends and to laugh and enjoy life. She wasn’t even able to smile or laugh for a year. Every time she would smile, she’d have these attacks and pain,” explains Dr. Sachs. “So, treating pain is rewarding as a physician because we’re able to help relieve it, and that can be transformative for the patient.”

“I remember waking up from surgery and knowing immediately that I didn’t have electricity running through my face. The relief was immediate,” says Michelle.

Image Content Disclaimer

The following image contains content that may be unsettling or sensitive to some viewers.

The scar from Michelle’s surgery

"The relief was immediate."

— Michelle Kupé

The gratitude she feels runs deep, not only for those who helped take away the agonizing pain, but also for the nursing staff in the neuro ICU — she can’t remember all their names, but she will never forget their compassion.

“This one particular nurse was so kind. I remember slowly waking up after the surgery with him rubbing my arm and saying, ‘You’ve had a rough day today, but you did great,’” she says. “I felt encompassed by caring people who had my best interests at heart. I never for a moment felt abandoned when I was at my most vulnerable.”

Regaining her life back

After five days in the hospital following her surgery, Michelle returned home to her five children and husband Rob. Within five months, she was able to return to work, but continued with physiotherapy for about a year. Today, she can experience bad headaches and is still seen by the pain clinic, but she’s living a full life again — now as an empty nester with her kids grown up and exploring the world.

Michelle reflects on a full circle moment from many years ago when her parents first heard about Dr. Sinclair returning from the United States to his hometown of Ottawa and his efforts to bring a CyberKnife radiosurgery robot to our hospital.

“My parents heard about this CyberKnife and they rallied to support his efforts. Who would have known that years later the neurology department would be where their daughter would end up? We had no other connection really with neurology at the time, and yet this emerging neurosurgery tool was something my parents were really passionate about making sure people had access to.”

It’s a perfect example of the impact of philanthropy and never knowing who it will benefit.

“We believe things don’t happen by accident. The way it lined up and how it all unfolded was part of the plan for my life and shows it’s important to keep giving back.”

Listen to Dr. Adam Sachs talk about the role vital role of the neurosurgical team at The Ottawa Hospital.

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Categories: Neuro, Technology

A CANCER JOURNEY

A journey through two cancers and the BRCA gene mutation

Published: February 2025

When Jennifer Hollington was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, she didn’t see it coming. This shocking news started her down a path she never imagined, including two more significant medical developments: the discovery she had the BRCA gene mutation, and a skin cancer diagnosis.

While well-versed in the healthcare sphere because of her job with Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada, Jen wasn’t prepared for the health crisis she faced in 2020 at the height of the pandemic. However, she was introduced to a large multidisciplinary team of healthcare professionals at The Ottawa Hospital, who helped guide her through this cancer journey.

It was late July 2020 when Jen woke up in the middle of the night with intense pain in her side. After a call to Telehealth Ontario, she went to a local Emergency Department, where blood work and an ultrasound revealed the shocking news — Jen’s tests pointed to a likely diagnosis of ovarian cancer.

“It was a scary and unexpected diagnosis. I came to terms with it only after repeating it many times to family, friends, and co-workers,” she explains.

A stage 3 ovarian cancer diagnosis

By early August, Jen took a leave from her job as the Assistant Deputy Minister of Communications for Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada. Not long after that, she met Dr. Wylam Faught, head of the division of gynecologic oncology based at the Shirley E. Greenberg Women’s Health Centre at the Riverside Campus.

“He sees you as a person, not simply as a patient who is on a long list of patients.”

— Jen Hollington

Dr. Faught took time to walk Jen through what her journey might look like with what he suspected was stage 3 ovarian cancer. “We’re pretty realistic when meeting with a patient who faces this diagnosis. We try to start into the treatment journey with the patient’s eyes wide open — every patient is different.”

For Jen, this approach was exactly what she needed. “Dr. Faught was very empathic, but also realistic about the challenges of ovarian cancer, which I appreciated. He sees you as a person, not simply as a patient who is on a long list of patients. It was comforting to know that we were moving forward, but it was also scary.”

The impact of research on patients facing ovarian cancer

In 2024, an estimated 3,000 Canadian women were diagnosed with ovarian cancer. The disease impacts women of all ages, but it’s more common in women who have gone through menopause. Sadly, the current five-year survival rate is only 45%, and that’s why research at all levels plays a critical role in advancing new treatment options.

Researchers like Dr. Barbara Vanderhyden and her team at the Vanderhyden laboratory at The Ottawa Hospital are dedicated to studying this disease.

Read our Q&A with Dr. Tien Le

Testing shows the BRCA2 gene mutation

In late August, Jen underwent surgery to remove her uterus, cervix, ovaries, and Fallopian tubes, followed by six rounds of chemotherapy. Her gynecologic oncologist, Dr. Tien Le, was able to remove most of the visible cancer. The final pathology report confirmed Jen had stage 3 high-grade serous carcinoma arising from her ovary. Luckily, this meant there were very good initial treatment options to manage her cancer.

“Dr. Le told me they are increasingly looking at ovarian cancer as a chronic disease, to keep people living longer and longer. I found this especially encouraging,” says Jen.

That pathology report also indicated her ovarian tumour cells carried the BRCA2 gene mutation. Genetic testing was suggested to see if she was a carrier of the gene change. This would have further impact on immediate family members and direct further treatment for the patient.

All humans have the BRCA genes (BRCA1 and BRCA2). You inherit one from each of your parents, and if one parent has a mutation, there is a 50% chance you will inherit it. These genetic mutations are known to predispose carriers to develop hereditary breast and ovarian cancers, among other cancers.

“Patients with this mutation tend to have a much better prognosis than someone who is not a carrier of the gene change, because there are more treatment options, and the patient is more responsive to chemotherapy. It was positive news overall.”

— Dr. Wylam Faught

By the spring of 2021, genetic test results showed Jen had a mutation in her BRCA2 gene, which subsequent testing revealed she had inherited from her father. This presented another medical hurdle, namely a significant risk of developing breast and other cancers.

While the news was initially alarming to Jen, Dr. Faught explained it offered hope. “Patients with this mutation tend to have a much better prognosis than someone who is not a carrier of the gene change, because there are more treatment options, and the patient is more responsive to chemotherapy. It was positive news overall.”

Once her chemotherapy was complete, Jen was eligible for an effective new class of oral medication known as PARP inhibitors called Olaparib. “It’s only been in the last handful of years that this group of patients with the BRCA gene mutation have benefitted from this new drug, which in some cases has the potential for putting them into remission. So, within her diagnosis of ovarian cancer, there was this silver lining,” explains Dr. Faught.

Optimizing her chances for the future

With the results of the genetic testing placing Jen at a higher risk of breast cancer, Dr. Le referred her to Dr. Erin Cordeiro, a breast surgical oncologist at The Ottawa Hospital.

“Dr. Cordeiro was clear, respectful, and kind as she answered all my questions and provided the detailed information I needed to make my final decision on one of two options,” says Jen.

Those options included continuing with annual mammograms and breast MRIs through Ontario’s high-risk screening program or having a preventive bilateral mastectomy. Armed with plenty of statistics, like how preventive surgery would reduce her risk of developing breast cancer by 95%, Jen considered the options.

“I pretty much knew right then and there, surgery was the best option for me. I was so reassured by the call with Dr. Cordeiro. I came away knowing so much more about my options as well as their advantages and disadvantages.”

Her next step was to meet with a plastic surgeon, because as Dr. Cordeiro explained it, she would remove the breast tissue and the plastic surgeon would reconstruct the breasts during the same surgery.

Then another cancer diagnosis

Shortly before the appointments relating to her mastectomy, Jen inquired with her family doctor about an itchy patch of skin near her anus that had persisted for a few years but seemed harmless enough. In September 2021, she met with a dermatologist, who did a biopsy. “He mentioned the possibility of cancer. I thought ‘Good grief, as if I need more cancer in my life.’”

Within days, the news was confirmed, Jen had a second cancer — anal margin squamous cell carcinoma — perianal skin cancer. This news introduced her to a whole new cancer team at our hospital who rallied around her.

Colorectal surgeon Dr. Robin Boushey removed an almost one-centimeter tumour. When the post-surgery pathology report indicated that pre-cancerous cells remained in the margins, Dr. Boushey referred Jen to radiation oncologist Dr. Jenny Jin.

“The pathology showed there were precancerous tumours along the cut edge of the tumour. We knew that she would have quite a high risk of local recurrence if there was no further treatment,” explains Dr. Jin.

“There’s been no evidence of any recurrence, and soon she’ll be three years out. The highest rates of recurrence are in the first two years, and so her chances are getting better.”

— Dr. Jenny Jin

Another surgery was possible, but that brought some risks and could impact Jen’s quality of life. “If she were to have more resected, it would mean that she’d likely end up with a permanent ostomy pouch for bowel movements, so we went with an organ preservation approach,” explains Dr. Jin.

By February 2022, Jen finished 25 treatments of radiation. “She’s done very well ever since. There’s been no evidence of any recurrence, and soon she’ll be three years out. The highest rates of recurrence are in the first two years, and so her chances are getting better,” says Dr. Jin.

For Jen, it was another big hurdle she’d overcome.

Jen and Nurse Hillary ringing the radiation bell at Irving Greenberg Family Cancer Centre

Jen ringing the bell at The Ottawa Hospital

The overarching support along the way

One thing that stands out to Jen along this journey has been the many multi-disciplinary teams who cared for her, including many nurses and allied health professionals. One in particular had a huge impact. Jacinthe Lepage has been a nurse at The Ottawa Hospital for over 30 years, and she’s spent most of her career working in gynecology oncology.

More recently, her role has evolved to include a first-of-its-kind nurse-led PARP inhibitor clinic at our hospital’s Cancer Centre.

“The clinic first opened in March 2023 and there’s no other clinic like it – anywhere in Canada,” explains Jacinthe. “There’s a lot of monitoring and calls when somebody is on this drug, so I’m the nurse that’s there for those patients.”

It’s this experience, compassion, and candor that Jacinthe brings to patients that resonated with Jen. “Jacinthe is fabulous, and she’s been with me through this whole experience. A voice of comfort and reason when I have questions. She’s always there.”

Jacinthe Lepage, clinical oncology nurse

“I don’t see the cancer when I talk to them, because I know that they don’t want to be identified as that. To me, it’s very important to treat the person behind all this.”

— Jacinthe Lepage

For Jacinthe, it’s a special role that she takes very seriously, and it’s different for each person. “We treat the cancer, but I see the person behind all this. I don’t see the cancer when I talk to them, because I know that they don’t want to be identified as that. To me, it’s very important to treat the person behind all this.”

As she explains, they need to be able to open up and ask any questions. “I know some are afraid to ask questions about death and dying, about prognosis and all that, but I always tell myself, if they have the guts to ask, I can’t hide anything. When they ask, it’s because they are ready for the answer.”

Hope for patients in the future facing an ovarian cancer diagnosis

Four-and-a-half-years after this cancer journey started, Jen remains cancer-free. There have been some bumps in the road, including with her breast reconstruction surgery — a process that continues. She’s even offered hope and guidance to others through the blog she started, Jenesis, which has also been therapeutic for her.

“At this point, with no evidence of disease, the risk of recurrence is quite low. Dr. Faught estimated my risk of recurrence to be less than 10%. I almost cried when he said that.”

— Jen Hollington

In November 2024, she reached a significant milestone when doctors recommended she come off the PARP inhibitor drug, which suppresses the growth of cancerous ovarian tumours. “There’s no evidence that staying on the drug would have a long-term benefit beyond two years,” explains Dr. Faught.

It was a challenging decision for Jen, as there was comfort in knowing she was taking this drug and doing well. “At this point, with no evidence of disease, the risk of recurrence is quite low. Dr. Faught estimated my risk of recurrence to be less than 10%. I almost cried when he said that, remembering that he had told me in August 2020 that the risk of recurrence in ovarian cancer is about 80%,” shares Jen.

According to Dr. Le, there is new hope on the horizon for patients with ovarian cancers. “We are embarking on a new program at The Ottawa Hospital to advance the care and improve survivals for ovarian cancer patients in the form of HIPEC treatment. This involves administering heated chemotherapy solution right into the abdominal cavity at the time of surgery for their cancers. This strategy has been shown to significantly improve the survival for patients with ovarian cancer in selected cases.”

While more and more centres are adopting this therapy, The Ottawa Hospital would be only the second hospital in Ontario to provide it to patients. It’s new advancements like this one that give patients like Jen hope for more effective treatment options and better survival.

As Jen moves forward, she embraces parts of life that she may not have noticed before. “Special moments that once may have seemed mundane have become clearer and brighter as I live each day, grateful that I am still here.”

Categories:

Published: January 2025

Always an active person, Kumar Visvanatha started to notice a concerning change in his habits in 2020. Now retired from the high-tech industry, he often spent time cycling, travelling to Colorado to hike, or flying, as he was a licensed pilot. However, with the arrival of the pandemic, like so many others, he was often isolated from doing the activities he loved, and this started to have a significant impact on his wellbeing.

“This is when I started feeling anxious, down, and lower energy. I thought there was something physically wrong with me. I never thought about depression.”

— Kumar Visvanatha

Little did he know, this downward spiral would continue, and in 2022, the situation was exacerbated when Kumar started to have back pain, which eventually became a chronic issue, and his quality of life became progressively worse. Without a family doctor, he bounced between physicians at walk-in clinics, but he wasn’t getting any answers or relief.

“This is when I started feeling anxious, down, and lower energy. I thought there was something physically wrong with me. I never thought about depression,” says Kumar.

Eventually, Kumar no longer recognized himself, so he turned to the mental health team at The Ottawa Hospital for help.

A downward spiral into depression

After several tests, Kumar learned there was nothing physically wrong with him, but he continued to see his quality of life decline. By the summer of 2023, this normally active and engaged man found himself in a place he’d never been. “I didn’t recognize the person I had become. When I looked in the mirror, I didn’t know who I was,” shares Kumar.

“I didn’t feel like I had any hope.”

— Kumar Visvanatha

His energy levels were low, he couldn’t sleep, he didn’t want to do anything — as he describes it, he would “mope around the house.” Kumar also didn’t go out to social events because he didn’t understand what was happening to him or how to explain it to others who were used to him being active and social. Kumar felt completely isolated. “I didn’t feel like I had any hope.”

That’s when his partner insisted on bringing him to the Emergency Department at The Ottawa Hospital’s Civic Campus in July 2023, and he first met Dr. Andrew Greene, a psychiatrist at our hospital. “He’d essentially hit his rock bottom. He was feeling like he’d never be himself again,” explains Dr. Greene.

Seeking help for depression at The Ottawa Hospital

This wasn’t Kumar’s first introduction to The Ottawa Hospital, but this time was under very different circumstances. Before retirement, Kumar worked at JDS Uniphase, where the team rallied to raise $15 million for the Critical Care Unit at the General Campus — which is now named the JDS Uniphase Employee Legacy Critical Care Wing. Kumar had no idea that one day, he would be on the receiving end of critical mental health care at The Ottawa Hospital.

Thankfully, the Mental Health program provides early diagnosis and treatment of severe mental illness. With two psychiatric emergency services and 96 acute in-patient beds, our hospital is often the first place those experiencing a mental health crisis in our city will turn to for help. Beyond that, we operate three regional programs that treat patients with first episode psychosis, eating disorders, perinatal mental health, as well as a mobile crisis team in our community.  The Mental Health program is also a leader in research, which brings innovative new therapies to patients.

The challenge with depression is it pushes people to do and think the exact opposite of what’s needed to get better. It pushes people to isolate themselves, stop going outside and doing activities.
— Dr. Andrew Greene

One of the first observations Dr. Greene made was that Kumar was self-aware of what was happening and wanted to get better, but he needed help to ensure things were going to change. He was diagnosed with major depressive disorder — a mental health condition in which someone is feeling very low and not able to enjoy things the way they normally would over a prolonged period.

“It’s very persistent. Typically, we’re talking about this going on for months or sometimes even years. The challenge with depression is it pushes people to do and think the exact opposite of what’s needed to get better,” says Dr. Greene. “It pushes people to isolate themselves, stop going outside and doing activities. That tends to make it progressively worse.”

After an assessment in the Emergency Department, Kumar was sent home with medication and a plan to attend the transitional skills program.

Transitional Skills Program offers solutions

Kumar agreed to participate in the half-day hospital program, called the Transitional Skills Program, where the patient participates four days a week and focuses on cognitive behavioral therapy.

“We’re helping people address the way they’re thinking about things,” explains Dr. Greene. “In some cases, perhaps in a negative way or ruminating with very dark thoughts, and how that’s affecting their mood. We also look at how their behaviours — things they’re doing or not doing — are impacting their mood.”

Kumar credits the program with having a significant impact on his recovery. “Among the various topics taught in the course, I really resonated with mindfulness, self-compassion, and cognitive behavioural therapy, and I use these skills regularly today.”

“It happened gradually. I started to have more energy, and then I found myself walking and cycling again."

— Kumar Visvanatha

He also credits other aspects of the program, including the emotional regulation group, the goal setting group, and gratitude journal, as a few examples.

Over time, Kumar continued to have appointments with Dr. Greene, and there was a process of finding the right medication and dosage. In addition to the in-hospital program, he also met regularly with a therapist.

It certainly took time and patience, but by April 2024, Kumar started to see signs of his old self returning. “It happened gradually. I started to have more energy, and then I found myself walking and cycling again. This too was medicine for me, and I slowly started getting better.”

Back to his active, healthy living

“Major depressive disorder is a temporary illness. I can't tell you when it's going to get better, but it is going to get better. That’s really important for people to understand.” 

— Dr. Andrew Greene

It was an important message for patients like Kumar to hear. “I didn’t see this coming. I really didn’t understand depression. I remember thinking if you’re sad or something, get out and do something fun. But I know now that you can’t just snap out of it. And I’ve learned depression can happen to anybody.”

Today, Kumar is back enjoying life and active again. He’s truly grateful for the care he received and for the support from his loving partner and a couple of very close friends, who were there whenever he needed them. They would check on him regularly and insist on getting outdoors and going for walks.

And now when he looks in the mirror, he sees someone different than he did two years ago. “I see myself again … but I’m a little older,” Kumar says with a smile.

If someone needs help:

If you know someone who may be suffering from depression and needs help, the best place to start is by visiting your family doctor. If you don’t have access to a family doctor, you can go to AccessMHA.ca. This is a centralized intake service for our region that brings together all the mental health and addiction services. Once you register yourself, you will get a phone appointment with an intake worker, who will help match you with the appropriate care.

The Distress Centre of Ottawa and Region is available 24/7 for anyone experiencing any type of mental health crisis and can be reached at 613-238-3311. If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts, you can call or text 9-8-8: where a crisis supporter will help you without judgment.

Listen to Dr. Andrew Greene guest on Pulse Podcast to learn more about depression and mental health care at our hospital.

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Categories: Mental Health, Patient Care, Patient Care, Patient Care, Patient Care, Patient Care, Patient Care, Patient Care, Patient Care, Patient Care, Patient Care

Among the hundreds of birth announcements in the Ottawa Citizen over the years mentioning Dr. Manuel “Manny” Gluck as the delivering doctor, two are of particular note and significance, especially today: Justin Trudeau and Alexandre “Sacha” Trudeau, born on Christmas Day in 1971 and 1973 respectively. What are the odds?

Both boys were delivered by Dr. Gluck, a prominent Ottawa obstetrician and gynaecologist, who worked out of the Ottawa Civic Hospital. Dr. Gluck, who was the family doctor for the Trudeau family, passed away in 2023, but after almost two decades at the Civic, his memory and his impact lives on for countless families.

“He was really proud to be a doctor and really proud to bring babies into this world,” says his wife, Cheryle Hothersall-Gluck. “To hold a newborn in his arms, to deliver life, well, that meant everything to him.”

Dr. Gluck was also instrumental in helping shift societal norms surrounding childbirth, championing the idea that fathers should be encouraged to be in the delivery room. This paved the way for many families to embrace this precious moment together.

Known by so many patients for his kindness and remarkable ability to listen with deep compassion, it’s interesting to note that medicine wasn’t Dr. Gluck’s first choice. He started his professional career as a biochemist with the Department of Agriculture before graduating with a medical degree from the University of Ottawa in 1956. He worked at Mount Sinai Beth Israel in New York City and Jewish General Hospital and St. Mary’s Hospital in Montreal before returning to his hometown of Ottawa and becoming an integral part of the very fabric of the Civic.

As for his relationship with the Trudeaus, Mrs. Hothersall-Gluck says her husband was rather nonchalant about that.  

Cheryle Hothersall-Gluck and Dr. Manuel (Manny) Gluck

“Well, I heard that Margaret really liked him, and Pierre did too,” she recalls, “and so it just came about that he continued to deliver their babies!”

Dr. Gluck died on August 25, 2023, at the age of 95 within the walls of the same hospital where he brought forth so much life.

Categories: Creating Tomorrow, TOH Family

Published: December 2024

When Sophie Leblond Robert was rushed to The Ottawa Hospital’s Civic Campus — which houses the Champlain Regional Stroke Network — time was not on her side. Sophie was 35 years old, an interior designer, and married with two children, when she suffered a brain stem stroke. But our team of internationally recognized stroke experts were ready.

The excruciating ordeal began in May 2020, when she felt a pain in her neck. She went to her family doctor first, who prescribed some medication, but it provided little relief. The same result occurred after seeing her chiropractor. Then, she felt an odd sensation in her neck as she turned to check on her kids in the car one day. A week later, as she was gardening in her backyard in mid-June when she turned and felt a tweak in her neck — she knew something was wrong. But Sophie had previously suffered from seizures, so she assumed that’s what was happening.

Upon her arrival at the Civic’s Emergency Department, she was met by the stroke team, who assessed that Sophie had a tear in her vertebral artery, which runs from the back of the neck to another key artery known as the basilar. When a tear like that happens, it can cause clots to form inside the arteries and those clots can dangerously block blood flow to the brain. 

Lifesaving clot “busting”

The situation was urgent and the clots were life-threatening. Sophie was immediately treated with a strong clot busting medicine and prepped for a thrombectomy to have the clots removed from the main artery in the back part of the brain.

As Dr. Daniel Lelli, a neurologist, neuro-ophthalmologist, and a member of the stroke team explains, if that artery is clotted, a patient can’t survive.

“You need the brainstem to be able to breathe and to be alive. So, the team performed a mechanical thrombectomy and removed the clot, but unfortunately, Sophie kept having repeat clotting blocking the blood flow to the brain every time the clot was removed,” explains Dr. Lelli.

The quick-acting stroke team decided to use multiple stents to force the main artery, the basilar artery, and vertebral artery open. Thankfully, that quick intervention reestablished blood flow and saved Sophie’s life.

Locked-in syndrome

Because of the stroke she suffered, Sophie faced a new and frightening challenge — a condition called locked-in syndrome. This can happen when a stroke damages the brain stem, causing complete paralysis while still conscious. 

“The brain stem is a highway of nerves that go from your brain down to your arms and legs, and it also controls many other things, like moving your mouth and eyes, and swallowing,” says Dr. Lelli.

“The only thing I could do was open and close my eyelids. I couldn’t do anything else."

— Sophie Leblond Robert

For Sophie it was a horrifying ordeal. “The only thing I could do was open and close my eyelids. I couldn’t do anything else. I could feel pain, but couldn’t communicate that.”

Sophie was moved to the neurological acute care unit, which is the highest level of care outside the intensive care unit, where she had a tracheostomy — this would help get air to lungs — and a feeding tube.

Doctors didn’t know if she’d survive, and her chances of ever being able to move again were slim.

Sophie was trapped inside her body and her family had no idea if she had any awareness of what was going on around her. That’s when her loved ones started to look for a way to communicate with her.

Sophie’s devoted mom, Suzanne Leblond, recalls very early on she asked her daughter some questions — she asked her daughter to blink twice for “no” and once for “yes.” She asked if her name was Joanne — Sophie blinked twice. Then she asked if her name was Mary. Two more blinks. When she asked if Sophie was her name — one blink.

“So, it was very, very evident that we could communicate with her, but it took a lot out of her, so we just had to take our time in between each question,” says Suzanne.

What is locked-in syndrome?

Locked-in syndrome is a rare neurological disorder in which part of the brainstem is damaged, causing a disconnect between the brain and body. The result is that the person’s cognitive function remains intact, but they have near-complete paralysis. Most people will be able to hear and blink or move their eyes to communicate.

Learn More

Long road to recovery

This was the first chapter in a long and painful road towards recovery, with so many unknowns. But Sophie had an integrated care team and her mom and husband with her around the clock.

It wasn’t until about the four-week mark of Sophie’s hospitalization that the next positive sign happened. One day, she was able to move one finger on her left hand — a small but important step. It also provided a little comic relief. “The first thing I could move was my left middle finger. So, I was known as the F*** you girl for a good two months,” laughs Sophie. 

"We started by showing her and her family ways to start moving the limbs to try to get the brain to relearn."

— Linda Powers

It’s around that time when Linda Powers, a physiotherapist specializing in stroke, first met Sophie. She’s cared for patients at The Ottawa Hospital for 28 years, and most of that time she’s worked on the stroke unit. Linda brought a great deal of experience to this young patient’s rehabilitation.

“Sophie’s left side was stronger from the very beginning. We started by showing her and her family ways to start moving the limbs to try to get the brain to relearn,” says Linda.

Admittedly, this is where a significant amount of trust is built between the patient and the care team. It starts with getting the patient to sit at the edge of the bed and learning to control their sitting balance. “That was one of the first things we did with Sophie, and she needed full support — she couldn’t even hold up her own head.”

Next, it was getting Sophie out of bed. As Linda explains, this is done using a sling like a hammock, that lifts the patient up to a chair. It was another two months before they tried the pivot transfer, where Sophie would put partial weight on a leg to move from one seat to another.

It was a slow process. “But she had all the right things in place, her age, the intervention of the stroke team in those early days, the physio of course, because the more you do in the first six months, the more likely your recovery is going to be,” says Linda. “She also had an incredible family to support her when we weren’t there.”

A full team approach to recovery

After six weeks in hospital, Sophie was still having a hard time controlling her eyes because of the stroke, so Dr. Lelli was brought on to Sophie’s case because of his specialty as a neuro-ophthalmologist.

“When she tried to look somewhere, Sophie couldn’t control the movement. Her eyes would overshoot and undershoot where she wanted them to go, and then she would get dizzy. She had a lot of trouble focusing as well. This was all because of the different muscles and the control mechanisms affected by the stroke,” explains Dr. Lelli.

"I said if I'm doing this, I'm doing this to the fullest. I'm going wear those high heels shoes again. I'm going to drive again. I’ve got this. I'm doing this."

— Sophie Leblond Robert

He worked with the occupational therapists and physiotherapists to ensure Sophie had exercises to try and get control of her eye movement again. A shining example of the full team required to come together to aid in the recovery of a patient after suffering from a severe stroke.

Sophie’s sheer determination was a great factor in this long road to recovery. While initially she worried about being a burden to her family, she wanted her life back — every aspect of it, even though the early odds were against her. “I said if I’m doing this, I’m doing this to the fullest. I’m going wear those high heels shoes again. I’m going to drive again. I’ve got this. I’m doing this.”

Then, after four-and-a-half months on the neuro unit, facing an uphill battle and a laundry list of complications as a result of the stroke — she fought through it all and was moved to The Ottawa Hospital’s Rehabilitation Centre.

That’s where a whole new team stepped in to provide care, including Andrea Chase, a physiotherapist caring for neurological patients. She’s been a part of our hospital’s team for about 20 years. She explains that normally after suffering a stroke, patients go to the Bruyère Centre, but because of the locked-in syndrome, Sophie required the specialized team at our hospital.

"Feisty and determined"

When Andrea first met Sophie, she recalls that while she had many difficulties, she was feisty and determined. At this point, Sophie had difficulty moving her limbs, controlling her vision — sometimes just even looking in a busy environment was too much. She had a soft, weak voice and it was difficult to talk or cough or even breathe. She also had difficulty swallowing.

“Basically, cognitively she was aware. She was herself, but all the systems we take for granted as healthy people were affected. She had many really complex needs.”

— Andrea Chase

“Basically, cognitively she was aware. She was herself, but all the systems we take for granted as healthy people were affected. She had many really complex needs,” Andrea continues. “But right from the very beginning she was determined. She told me she was going to get better. She talked about her cute little girls, her husband, and her artwork. She’s an artist, and she wanted to get back to it all right away.”

That’s where setting goals becomes a very important part of the care program. A patient is starting from the very beginning in many cases according to Ms. Chase. “We start working on simple things, almost back to child development. We might need multiple staff to work on simple things like sitting up, rolling over in bed. Then we gradually work at adding on more like standing and then walking. When she was able to get a little bit more mobile to stand and take some steps, we did take her to our virtual reality lab.”

Known as the CAREN system — it’s state-of-the-art technology that allows patients to explore and interact with room-sized 3D scenarios. The 180-degree screens work in combination with a moving platform, a remote-controlled treadmill, and surround sound. Patients are in the safety of a harness as they regain skills, strength, and confidence.

An "extra magical" discharge from the hospital

With each day, Sophie defied the odds, getting better and better. Soon, she set out a new goal for herself. “She really wanted to go home for Christmas,” says Andrea. “And we got her home to her kids and family. It was an extra magical discharge date for sure.”

“I just needed to be home. I wanted to make it fun for them that mommy was home.”

— Sophie Leblond Robert

It was magical indeed. Because of the pandemic, Sophie had only seen her two daughters three times in six months. “I just needed to be home. I wanted to make it fun for them that mommy was home.”

It was that sheer determination of a mother wanting to reunite with her children that pushed Sophie. She went from just walking a few steps on the parallel bars when she first arrived at the Rehab Centre to making sure she could climb steps to get home because she lived in a two-story house. She continued to defy the odds. “I’m a stubborn redhead, and I wanted to prove I could do it.”

The milestones along the way have all been significant, including her first words, for the second time in her life. Thanks to the help of her speech therapist, Karen Mallet, learning to talk again was just as special to Sophie’s mom as it was the first time. “I’ll always remember the first time, about three months into her care, she was able to whisper ‘hello’. It was amazing,” says Suzanne.

Speaking led to re-learning French and she’s also back to painting, and getting her driver’s license again — and oh yes, she’s back to wearing high heels.

For Dr. Lelli, to see how far Sophie has come since the summer of 2020, is amazing. He points to the stroke team that is ready to provide the most advanced treatments. “The stroke code mobilized all the resources of the hospital for that patient. It’s a wonderful team to be part of and it’s really a well-oiled machine, because the quicker we get her treated, the more likely it is that we limit the damage, and that we can enable a recovery like this one.”

That exceptional care continues along the way of the patient’s recovery. “I didn’t know if she was going to get out of a bed again — that’s how bad it was,” says Dr. Lelli. “It’s really amazing, and it’s because of all those treatments she got, from the mechanical thrombectomy to the efforts that she’s put in and all the people that have worked around her, like the rehab specialists — and because she just wouldn’t give up.” 

Categories: Rehab

Published: November 2024

The pace at which medical advancements are taking place in the field of immunotherapy is staggering. Immunotherapy harnesses a patient’s own immune system to attack their cancer, and The Ottawa Hospital is at the forefront of research in this area — from the development of new therapies to clinicals trials. In fact, our hospital hosts BioCanRx, a national network for immunotherapy research and has pioneered a number of unique immunotherapies made directly of cells and viruses. These groundbreaking immunotherapies, developed right here, are pushing the boundaries of medicine and transforming patient care.

“The field of oncology is like a hurricane of clinical trials. Every six months now, we are trying to implement practice-changing data or chase promising data.”

— Dr. Michael Ong

Unlike traditional treatments like chemotherapy, immunotherapy can adapt to a patient’s cancer, which can lead to improvements that can last years — even after the patient has stopped treatment.

For Dr. Michael Ong, a medical oncologist and clinical investigator at The Ottawa Hospital, it’s reassuring to see the combination of incredible progress and long-term success for patients during his career. “The field of oncology is like a hurricane of clinical trials. Every six months now, we are trying to implement practice-changing data or chase promising data.”

The survival rates for metastatic melanoma, for example, have gone from only 20% surviving one year to 50% not only surviving 10 years, but also being both cancer-free and treatment-free. This is thanks to immunotherapy.

Immunotherapy shows promise for bladder cancers

Now, experts like Dr. Ong are asking what other cancers can be treated with immunotherapy and how to harness its full potential. “Over the years, we’ve been doing melanoma surgery for those who are high risk, and then treating with immunotherapy after surgery. But it turns out immunotherapy works better before surgery happens, because the immune system can be better trained against the cancer when there’s more cancer present,” explains Dr. Ong.

That means treating with immunotherapy first, and envisioning a future where surgery could one day be unnecessary. This would be a huge improvement for patients’ quality of life.

Recently, the results of a clinical trial led by Dr. Ong at The Ottawa Hospital as part of a multinational effort were presented at a conference in Barcelona, Spain. In this trial, chemotherapy and immunotherapy were prescribed before surgery in patients with bladder cancer. The group that had immunotherapy prior to surgery had a lower rate of cancer recurrence and higher cure rate, and it is now considered standard of care to offer pre-operative immunotherapy.

“It’s so exciting to have recruited patients to this trial and contributed to this global effort that ultimately improved how we treat our patients with bladder cancer,” explains Dr. Ong.

The next generation of trials may look at whether there is a need to remove a patient’s bladder if they are super responders. “Not everyone will get away without surgery, but even if some patients can avoid it, then it’s a huge advancement. We are talking about complete response rates from pre-operative treatment that are now exceeding 50% in bladder cancer,” says Dr. Ong. “So, by the time of surgery, we’re not even seeing any more cancer cells. That begs the question, ‘Do we need to take out the bladder’.”

The fact that each person’s cancer is unique adds to the complexity of the disease and treatment. But the potential impact of immunotherapy is reaching even farther.

What is prostate cancer?

Prostate cancer is a type of cancer that can develop in the prostate — a small, walnut-shaped gland in the male reproductive system that produces seminal fluid.

Learn More

How some prostate cancer patients may benefit

There have previously been significant efforts to evaluate if immunotherapy works in patients with prostate cancer. Multiple phase-three prostate cancer clinical trials have had largely disappointing results. However, within every one of these trials, there were a small proportion of patients who benefitted, and it shows that 3 out of 100 patients can actually benefit significantly from immunotherapy.

It has taken time and more data to understand who these patients were, but it has come down to something called mismatch repair deficiency, which seems to be the most promising way to identify patients that will respond to immunotherapy. “Normally when cancer cells copy their DNA, mistakes (or mismatches) in copying happen. The mismatch repair system will normally catch and fix those errors. But if this repair system is deficient or faulty, these mistakes are tolerated and DNA mutations accumulate rapidly,” says Dr. Ong.

Cancers generally become more aggressive when more mutations accumulate. “It turns out, however, that these ‘ugly’ mutated cancers are actually very sensitive to immunotherapy,” according to Dr. Ong.

That’s incredible news for a small but specific group of patients with prostate cancer, like Larry Trickey.

Stage 4 prostate cancer diagnosis

Larry Trickey, a retired computer specialist, was diagnosed with a highly aggressive prostate cancer in 2022. His scans showed the cancer had spread to the bladder and pelvis. It was the height of the pandemic, adding to the stress, and surgery was not possible. Initially, he began standard hormone treatment, then his oncologist, Dr. Dominick Bossé, suggested he enroll in a study that involved genomic testing of his tumour and access to a new treatment called a PARP inhibitor.

“When Mr. Trickey and his wife walked into my office with determination and hope, they were deeply supportive of one another and committed to finding the best path forward,” explains Dr. Bossé. “As always with research, the addition of a new form of care on top of standard treatment could make it more challenging to tolerate, but may also uncover new ways to treat cancer efficiently. Mr. Trickey was willing to take that risk.”

While initially Larry had benefit from the treatment, the effect was relatively short-lived, with the cancer worsening in 2023. He then received some radiation treatment and in a surprising turn of events, the radiation triggered an abscopal effect — a very rare phenomenon where the immune system kicks in to fight cancer after radiation releases.

“It was a remarkable moment. Mr. Trickey put his trust in me to hold off on further treatments while he benefited from this abscopal effect and until the cancer showed signs of progression, with the hope of enrolling him in an immunotherapy trial as our next option,” says Dr. Bossé.

“The entire team rallied together — the research team, radiology, oncology — to get him promptly into that trial."

— Dr. Dominick Bossé

Clinical trial led by Dr. Ong

Within months, Larry’s condition started to deteriorate and that’s when Dr. Bossé said it was time to see if he could enroll in a clinical trial that Dr. Ong was running. “The entire team rallied together — the research team, radiology, oncology — to get him promptly into that trial. Despite the alarming news of progression, Mr. Trickey agreed to multiple tests for the trial eligibility, which he met just in time, hours only before the trial closed.”

Larry remembers the call vividly. “It was around suppertime when Dr. Bossé called, and he seemed to be very ecstatic about one of the mutations I had,” remembers Larry. “There was a study looking for patients with that mutation. He was so excited when he saw the results and what it could mean for me.”

Hundreds of patients in Canada have been enrolled in this study over the last five years, but Larry was the last one accepted before the trial completed.

“It was kind of like winning the lottery to have that mutation. I was very lucky that it allowed me to get into this more aggressive study. If it was successful, it would really make a huge difference,” says Larry.

And Larry needed a win because by this time he had multiple metastases, including one in his left shoulder that was progressively weakening his arm. His stomach was bloated, and he was in pain because of the size of the tumour on his prostate and the difficulty of having bowel movements.

“Things were getting desperate for me. My son and his wife were expecting their first child around Christmas, and I didn’t know if I would ever get to meet my first grandchild.”

Astonishing results from immunotherapy clinical trial

By mid-February 2024, Larry started on the PC-BETS study, with the Canadian Cancer Trials Group, for which Dr. Ong is a national co-chair. The results were astounding, and his condition improved very quickly after receiving two types of immunotherapies in combination.

"The cancer just melted away."

— Dr. Michael Ong

“The cancer just melted away. His PSA (prostate-specific antigen) in February 2024 before we started the trial was high. By April, his PSA was undetectable, and it’s stayed undetectable. The scans in July 2024 showed only a small residual nodule on the left adrenal gland. All the other sites of cancer have disappeared on his scans, and by the next scan, it’ll hopefully all be gone,” explains Dr. Ong.

To put this in perspective, a few cycles of chemotherapy would have maintained his life, but would not have improved it in the end. This clinical trial truly changed Larry’s life.

"If it wasn't for the trial, for sure, I don't think I'd be here now."

— Larry Trickey

Larry will continue with monthly immunotherapy treatment, but Dr. Ong says for how long is something that is also still being studied. “There’s an open question with immunotherapy right now to understand how long we need to deliver these treatments even when the scans normalize. That doesn’t mean every last cancer cell is gone. There are currently studies trying to address that.”

Today, the 69-year-old is enjoying every moment as a grandfather, and now he’s optimistic he’ll be able to celebrate that special milestone of his grandson’s first birthday. He’s also gaining his strength back, little by little, and he’s got movement back in his left arm. “If it wasn’t for the trial, for sure, I don’t think I’d be here now.”

He and his wife are deeply grateful to the cancer care team who have been with them every step of the way. “The nursing team honestly feels like family, especially Rayelle Richard, she’s really terrific. She gives me my infusions and is my contact to Dr. Bossé and Dr. Ong. It is such a supportive team at the Cancer Centre.”

What’s next in the field of immunotherapy?

For Dr. Ong, the goal is to find the right fit of treatment for each patient — it’s about individual analysis for each prostate cancer patient.

He also points to the importance of having access to things like The Ottawa Hospital’s molecular lab, funded by donors, which allows our scientists to do this kind of specialized testing and to provide much more personalization of care to patients. “We need to be at the forefront and test our patients for those mismatch repair alterations and get them immunotherapy when indicated,” says Dr. Ong. “That will be a significant advancement and will benefit more patients like Larry.”

Admittedly, the field is complex and moving at a rapid pace. Since he entered the medical oncology field 15 years ago, the change has been remarkable.

“I was a little bit concerned at that time that I would only ever be just delivering chemotherapy and never having a big impact. I was clearly wrong. Today, we’re seeing this totally new technology called antibody-drug conjugates that is revolutionizing bladder cancer treatment. They target the cancer specifically and then deliver high potency chemotherapy inside the cancer cells and that’s the huge advance of bladder cancer right now when combined with immunotherapy.”

Next is to bring this success to other patients with different types of cancers. The way to that will be through more cutting-edge research and clinical trials.

The Ottawa Hospital is also leading the way in research to develop and manufacture new cancer immunotherapies. For example, laboratory scientists like Drs. John Bell and Carolina Ilkow are developing biotherapies that use cells, genes and viruses to unleash an immune attack against cancer cells. They worked with clinician scientist Dr. Natasha Kekre and others to develop the first made-in-Canada CAR-T cell therapy. Other clinician researchers, like Dr. Alissa Visram and Dr. Rebecca Auer, are also developing new cancer immunotherapies and working to bring these to patients. This kind of research is fuelled by core facilities and platforms like The Ottawa Hospital’s Biotherapeutics Manufacturing Centre as well as networks like BioCanRx.

Categories: Cancer, Clinical Trials, Immunotherapy, World-Leading Research

Published: October 2024

Brandon Peacock shares the story of the afternoon of June 29, 2020, when he was shot three times — an innocent victim in a drive-by shooting — and rushed to The Ottawa Hospital Trauma Centre. This is Brandon’s story, told in his own words. 

CONTENT WARNING: This story contains details of serious injuries due to gun violence.

It was late June 2020, and we were in the midst of the pandemic, so I was working my 9 to 5 job from home, like so many others. I was only 23 at the time. The hot summer weather had moved in, and my hair was getting long, so, I decided to drop by my barbershop late one afternoon for a quick cut — I’d be in and out.

Instead, my life changed the moment I approached the shop’s door — I was caught in the crossfire of a drive-by shooting. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

As the shots rang out, I used my large frame to shield the woman who was opening the door of the building. I felt three bullets hit me. One went through the bottom left of my shoulder blade — it came out of my collar bone and missed my heart and my lungs. The theory is the bullet ricocheted off one of my rib bones, because most of my ribs were broken on the left side.

The second bullet hit me in the left knee, it was a ricochet bullet that hit the wall first before hitting me. It wasn’t too bad. But it was the third bullet that blew the femoral artery in my right leg. It’s described as “a kill shot” in most cases.

“I was determined to survive.”

The woman who I helped shield grabbed some towels and started compressing my wounds to slow the bleeding as much as she could. I was losing blood quickly from my leg.

I knew it wasn’t good, but despite everything, as I lay there waiting for help, I was confident I was going to make it through — I just need to keep fighting. I never felt scared; I was determined to survive.

During those first minutes while help was on the way, the woman dialed my mom so I could talk to her. I told her what happened, and I said, ‘I love you and don’t worry.’

The first police officer was on scene within four minutes. He got a tourniquet on my leg right away which gave us enough time to make it to the hospital. That officer was instrumental in keeping me alive long enough to reach the Trauma Centre. From what I was told, had he arrived 30 seconds later, my outcome might have been very different. When healthcare professionals say mere seconds matter — they mean it.

“He talked to me the whole time. He spoke to me like I was his son.”

My memory obviously gets a little foggy here, but it was early evening, around 6 p.m., when I arrived at The Ottawa Hospital’s Trauma Centre at the Civic Campus — thankfully it wasn’t too far away from the scene. From that point on, everything happened so fast.

I was suddenly surrounded by incredible surgeons from each division — I now know they’re the trauma team. There were also residents and nurses — really anyone you could possibly think of was ready.

I remember there was a woman who was the trauma lead — I got the sense she had a military background because of the way she took command of the situation. She was exceptional. I later learned her name was Dr. Jacinthe Lampron. She was the perfect blend of keeping me hopeful while also telling me what they were doing.

The whole team was exceptional. I vividly remember another man caring for me who talked to me the whole time. He spoke to me like I was his son.

They did a full assessment, and my leg was a major concern. Next, I had CT scans – everything was happening fast. My parents were told I had a 50/50 chance of survival and there was a good chance I might lose my leg.

As you can imagine, they were distraught, but they remained hopeful that I would beat the odds.

Meet Trauma Medical Director Dr. Jacinthe Lampron

"We turned a life-threatening gunshot wound into a story of survival, thanks to our unwavering commitment to patient care."
— Dr. Jacinthe Lampron

Read our Q&A with Dr. Lampron

“I still had both of my legs, but I wasn’t out of the woods.”

I had what’s known as compartment syndrome, which happens when there’s a painful build-up of pressure around your muscles. Mine was the result of all the blood that had pooled in my right leg. I needed a double fasciotomy — another term I had never heard of before. It is an emergency procedure to relieve the pressure, but we didn’t know if it would save my leg.

This surgery was critical to what my future would look like and took about eight hours. In addition to the double fasciotomy, they also performed a femoral bypass to take the vein out of my left leg to replace the artery in my right leg. The surgery was long, but I made it through to the next day. When I woke up in the ICU the next morning, I still had both of my legs, but I wasn’t out of the woods.

Did you know?

In 2023-24, there were 1,148 trauma patients treated at The Ottawa Hospital

Did you know?

Our Trauma service had a 10% increase in volume in 2023-24 compared to the year before

Did you know?

The leading causes of injuries are falls and motor vehicle collisions, at 43.1% and 34.4% respectively

Did you know?

13% of trauma visits were for a penetrating injury (gunshot, knife, or other penetrating wound)

Did you know?

We had 149 cases of penetrating injuries in 2023-2024

Did you know?

37 of those cases were gunshot wounds

Did you know?

The average length of stay for a trauma admission is just over five days

“The idea of single-patient rooms when the new hospital campus opens will make the world of difference for patients, like me.”

I now had a breathing tube and was hooked up to so many different devices. I had multiple blood transfusions, and my weight was down significantly — I was frail. My leg was a big balloon, my ribs were broken, so all I could do was lie in bed.

Because of the pandemic, I was moved to a room where I had to share space with one and then two other people. I must admit, I didn’t get much sleep at that point. In fact, the idea of single-patient rooms when the new hospital campus opens will make a world of difference for patients like me, and will provide a much better environment for recovery, including sleep.

By day two, I tried to opt out of pain medication. I’d drift off to sleep and I’d dream I was running and playing sports with my friends but then I’d wake up to this reality. So, I got off those meds quickly — it was tough, but that’s when I really started to process everything I’d been through. I wanted to have a clear mind to understand what happened, and then I started to make mental progress quickly.

By day five, I was supposed to have a skin graft because of how big the fasciotomy was on my right leg, but the surgeries kept getting pushed. Then Dr. Linden Head, a plastics specialist, came in and suggested he could stitch up the leg over a three-day period and he did it. Thanks to him, it eliminated the need for a painful skin graft and a process that they originally thought would take two weeks, so I was grateful. He was incredible.

“That’s when a real sense of determination set in for me.”

After that, it was important I didn’t move any more than necessary to ensure the incision healed. That wasn’t too hard because I wasn’t able to anyway. However, by day nine the physiotherapy team got me up and I used a walker. That’s when a real sense of determination set in for me — I wanted to go home, and I was ready to do whatever it took to make that happen.

I remember my physiotherapist told me if I could walk down the hallway, get into the stairwell, and then walk up two steps, I could leave because that’s all it would take me technically to get home. I said, ‘Let’s do it’.  But she said ‘No, no. We need to work up to that.’

Determined to get the green light for my release, I said, ‘I’m going to do it right now’, and I did. I walked down the hall, up those two steps, turned around, walked back. When I got back, I remember drinking three Gatorades. 

That walk was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, and since then I’ve trained for two marathons and now, I’m training for Ironman Canada. But the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life was that hallway walk.

The next day, I got the green light to go home. Admittedly, I may have coaxed my medical team a little, but incredibly, I left hospital ten days after I was rushed in, clinging to life. I left in a wheelchair and my dad carried me into the house — my body was very weak.

“He worked with me five hours a day, seven days a week in his home gym.”

However, from that day on it was about building up my body strength again and coming to terms with the violent act I innocently found myself in the centre of on that late June afternoon.

Now remember, we were in the middle of the pandemic. My best friend was a physiotherapist, his office was closed, and he worked with me five hours a day, seven days a week in his home gym. Together, we worked hard, and I pushed through with sheer determination for 90 days. We were inseparable.

I returned to the hospital every couple of days, for the first two weeks. Then it became a weekly appointment, and by the end of August they wanted to see me every six months. During my late August visit to the plastics team, they did a small procedure to get the remaining bullet fragment out of my leg.

Today, I still have an annual visit back to the hospital to the vascular team for what’s called ABPI testing to assess the blood flow in my leg and to make sure everything is still working well. It’s thanks to my vascular surgeon Dr. Sudhir Nagpal, and his team who set me up for incredible success.

“I ran my first 5K within 60 days of the shooting.”

My recovery was impressive. I walked into my third or fourth out-patient appointment without crutches, and I ran my first 5K within 60 days of the shooting. Then, the next thing I knew, I was able to get back on skates again. I made a lot of progress quickly and The Ottawa Hospital team was obviously the first step — they gave me the opportunity to keep fighting. 

It was during that time after my release from hospital when I realized this experience changed my life in many ways. I looked at life differently and that’s where my new path in life began — that’s where I came up with a new plan for my life.

The idea of climbing the corporate ladder was now in the review mirror, and I created Hit the Ground Running, a charity that helps trauma survivors reach their new 100%. It all came from that moment where I lay on the ground bleeding out thinking ‘If I don’t make it to tomorrow, am I going to be proud of the legacy that I’ve left behind?’ Perhaps not the typical thoughts of a 23-year-old, but that’s why I’ve changed my life plan and I’m helping others.

And so here I am, four years later, to say thank you. First, I want to thank Ottawa Police Constable Yanick Charron who got to my side quickly and gave me a fighting chance. Next, I want to thank all the talented surgeons and medical professionals at The Ottawa Hospital. I know there’s a very real possibility, with the nature of my injuries, that if we didn’t have a top tier trauma centre and this level of expertise available, I might not have survived — and I certainly may have lost my leg.

That fateful afternoon, I went from lying on the ground, wondering if I was going live, to today, building a great life that I love and helping others around the world who have experienced something very similar to me. And for that, I’m truly grateful and loving my life.

Listen to episode XX and hear Brandon Peacock’s story of survival and his gratitude for those who helped save his life.

Listen Now:

Categories: Trauma

Saving the precious resource of blood during major liver surgery

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Meet Dr. Dean Fergusson

What does this mean for patients?

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Pain is an invisible disease

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A CANCER JOURNEY

A journey through two cancers and the BRCA gene mutation

A stage 3 ovarian cancer diagnosis

The impact of research on patients facing ovarian cancer

Read our Q&A with Dr. Tien Le

Testing shows the BRCA2 gene mutation

Optimizing her chances for the future

Then another cancer diagnosis

The overarching support along the way

Hope for patients in the future facing an ovarian cancer diagnosis

A downward spiral into depression

Seeking help for depression at The Ottawa Hospital

Transitional Skills Program offers solutions

Back to his active, healthy living

If someone needs help:

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Lifesaving clot “busting”

Locked-in syndrome

What is locked-in syndrome?

Long road to recovery

A full team approach to recovery

"Feisty and determined"

An "extra magical" discharge from the hospital

Immunotherapy shows promise for bladder cancers

What is prostate cancer?

How some prostate cancer patients may benefit

Stage 4 prostate cancer diagnosis

Clinical trial led by Dr. Ong

Astonishing results from immunotherapy clinical trial

What’s next in the field of immunotherapy?

Meet Trauma Medical Director Dr. Jacinthe Lampron

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