Archives des Creating Tomorrow | The Ottawa Hospital Foundation

In 2021, we lost Boston to his struggle with mental health. He was a loving son, a caring older brother, a loyal friend, and the life of the party, and he was taken from us far too soon. The Boston Classic is an ode to him and his love of golf, summer, and being with those he loved. It is an opportunity for us to remember and honour him as well as raise awareness about men’s mental health and funds for The Ottawa Hospital in Boston’s name.

The 5th annual tournament is taking place on Saturday, June 6th, 2026, at the Meadows Golf and Country Club. For tickets & more information on how you can support, visit TheBostonClassic.com.

Published: April 2026

Read time: 4 min

Published: April 2026

Read time: 4 min

On Christmas Day 2023, Jody Stang fell to the kitchen floor. When his brother stopped by for a visit, he found Jody sitting with his back pressed against the cupboards — unable to get back up on his own. This wasn’t like him.

Jody served 31 years in the Canadian Armed Forces, including six operational tours in Afghanistan, Bosnia, Cyprus, and Croatia. He was in peak shape: he walked regularly, cycled long distances, and kept up with weight training.

But in the months leading up to the fall, something felt different. His balance was off, his legs seemed weaker, and for the first time in decades, Jody missed the local Remembrance Day ceremony — a day that is deeply personal to him. Soon, he could no longer drive, and even walking short distances was a challenge.

What started as numbness in his baby toe was clearly becoming something much more serious.

Searching for answers

The day after his fall, Jody called an ambulance and was taken to the Cornwall Community Hospital. After some initial tests, physicians arranged for him to be transferred to The Ottawa Hospital. With one of the strongest neurology teams in the nation, The Ottawa Hospital is the only centre in the region equipped to provide the advanced neurological care he needed.

Doctors initially suspected MOG antibody-associated disease (MOGAD), a rare autoimmune disorder where the immune system attacks the protective layer of the nerves in the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves, which would explain Jody’s muscle weakness and numbness.

He was started on high-dose steroids and later returned to Cornwall for continued care and rehabilitation. But instead of improving, Jody continued to decline. By then, he had lost nearly 85% of the sensation and motor function in his legs and was dependent on a wheelchair.

An unexpected diagnosis

Dr. Giulia Fadda, a neurologist and specialist in MOGAD at The Ottawa Hospital, saw Jody for a follow-up appointment in early February. Immediately concerned, she arranged for him to return as an inpatient to the neurology unit.

Five rounds of plasma exchange followed — a treatment option for more advanced stages of the disease. Still, there was no improvement.

His medical team ordered more imaging, including an MRI and PET scan, which revealed subtle changes near Jody’s L1/L2 vertebrae. The scans raised suspicions, and Dr. Safraz Mohammed, neurosurgeon at The Ottawa Hospital, recommended a biopsy.

The results revealed what no one had expected.

“Symptoms can mimic other neurological conditions, which makes early detection especially challenging.”

— Dr. Safraz Mohammed

Jody had the highest grade of brain tumour, called glioblastoma, but instead of being in his brain, it was in his spinal cord, which is incredibly rare. 

“Spinal cord glioblastoma is incredibly uncommon,” explains Dr. Mohammed. “Symptoms can mimic other neurological conditions, which makes early detection especially challenging.”

The reality of spinal cord glioblastoma

Glioblastoma is one of the most aggressive forms of cancer. But glioblastoma in the spinal cord is exceptionally rare and complex to treat — fewer than 200 cases have been documented in reported literature worldwide. This type of cancer is often devastating, typically leading to paralysis as it infiltrates the spinal cord.

The diagnosis explained the numbness and weakness in Jody’s legs, and he grappled with the news that life-long paralysis was now inevitable. But nothing could have prepared him for the news that came next.

For a cancer like glioblastoma, average life expectancy is usually measured in months. Jody was told he likely had less than one year to live.

“I was shocked,” says Jody. “But through all my years as a soldier, I’ve learned to take difficult circumstances one day at a time. You can take the man out of the army, but you can’t take the army out of the man.”

It was then that Dr. Mohammed presented an option that offered some hope.

Surgery remained a possibility. While it couldn’t reverse the damage already done, removing the tumour offered the best chance of extending Jody’s life.

“By the time we confirmed the diagnosis, Jody had already lost most of the strength in his legs,” says Dr. Mohammed. “But based on the location of the tumour, we had a surgical opportunity to remove the tumour completely, which we can’t often do with glioblastomas of the brain.”

Meet Neurosurgeon Dr. Safraz Mohammed

Find out more about how Dr. Mohammed is pushing the boundaries of neurosurgery and commitment to educating the next generation of doctors.

Read our Q&A with Dr. Mohammed

Canadian-first surgery lights the way

Under Dr. Mohammed’s care, Jody underwent a groundbreaking surgery with a fluorescence-guided microscope, funded by generous community donors.

Several hours before the operation, Jody drank a liquid containing 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA), a compound that accumulates in cancerous cells but not healthy ones. Under a specific blue wavelength of light generated by the microscope, the malignant glioma in Jody’s spine glowed a fluorescent pink.

“While we use this technology in brain tumour surgery all the time, it had never been applied to the spine in Canada,” says Dr. Mohammed.

Prior to Jody’s procedure, The Ottawa Hospital was the first centre in Canada to adopt widespread routine use of 5-ALA in tumour surgery. Today, the hospital is considered a national leader in fluorescence-guided neurosurgery.

Now, with the cancer cells clearly visible, Jody’s surgical team was able to remove all the tumour tissue with extraordinary precision, while preserving as much surrounding healthy spinal cord as possible. The surgery was a success and offered Jody something he hadn’t expected after his diagnosis — more time with loved ones.

All about fluorescence-guided surgery and 5-ALA

Learn more about fluorescence-guided surgery and the “pink drink” shedding light for surgeons seeking out brain and spinal cord tumours.

Learn more

Ongoing treatment and recovery

Surgery was only the first step. In the weeks that followed, Jody underwent 30 rounds of radiation therapy alongside oral chemotherapy to target any remaining cancer cells and reduce the risk of recurrence. The chemotherapy continued for six months — the standard regimen for glioblastoma.

Regular follow-up appointments and scans also remain an essential part of his care. For Jody, who uses a motorized wheelchair, telehealth has made that ongoing care far more accessible. “Telehealth allows patients like Jody to be monitored and supported from their own home,” says Dr. Garth Nicholas, Jody’s primary oncologist. “We can adjust treatment, check on side effects, and answer questions without the added strain of regular travel.”

Advances in technology at The Ottawa Hospital are not only transforming surgery — they’re reshaping how care continues long after the operating room.

Hope for the future

Though his road to recovery hasn’t been without its challenges, Jody remains in good spirits. There was a time when he believed he would not see another Christmas. After being told he had approximately one year to live, Jody began preparing for the end — arranging a burial plot and purchasing a tombstone.

Today, more than two years later, his latest scans show no evidence of cancer.

“I’m incredibly thankful,” says Jody. “For the care I received from my healthcare team and for the chance to have more time with friends and family.”

Jody’s outcome is a testament to what’s possible when innovation, expertise, and donor-supported technology come together.

Categories: Cancer, Innovation and Technology, Neuro, Patient Care

Published: March 2026

Read time: 3 min

Published: March 2026

Read time: 3 min

Kidney disease is often silent in its earliest stages, quietly damaging the body long before symptoms present themselves. By the time traditional tests detect it, the kidneys have already experienced irreversible damage. Roughly 1 in 10 people live with kidney disease, and many are unaware they are at risk.

Dr. Dylan Burger, a senior scientist at The Ottawa Hospital, is working to change that. Thanks to donor support through an ELEVATE seed grant, he and his team are developing ways to detect kidney stress as it happens and to protect these vital organs before lasting damage occurs.

Why the kidneys matter

The kidneys do far more than filter waste from the blood. Every minute, they carefully regulate blood pressure, balance fluids and electrolytes, produce hormones that support red blood cell production, and help maintain healthy bones and muscles.

When kidney function begins to decline, the effects are felt throughout the entire body — often before a diagnosis is even made. Rising blood pressure, anemia, fatigue, muscle weakness, calcium and vitamin D deficiencies, and fluid buildup can all signal that the kidneys are under strain. Over time, declining kidney function can also contribute to a higher risk of bone fractures and heart disease.

Kidney disease doesn’t occur all at once. It typically develops over time, beginning with subtle cellular stress before progressing to chronic kidney disease, if left untreated. In severe cases, it can lead to kidney failure, which requires regular dialysis or a kidney transplant to survive.

“Earlier insight gives us more options,” says Dr. Burger. “And more options can mean a very different future for patients.”

Tiny messengers with big potential

At the centre of Dr. Burger’s research are extracellular vesicles — tiny particles released by kidney cells and passed into the urine. These act as biological messengers, providing information about the health of kidney cells in real time.

“When kidney cells are stressed or injured, they release very specific vesicles,” explains Dr. Burger. “In studying those signals, we can gain insight into what’s happening in the kidney long before traditional tests show there is an issue.”

His team has discovered that when specific kidney cells called podocytes are damaged, they release vesicles with a distinct size and characteristics. These vesicles act as early warning signs, flagging kidney injury at a stage when damage may still be reversible.

While some vesicles indicate injury, others have the power to play a protective role. “Cells also release beneficial vesicles that promote regeneration and the health of the cells around them,” explains Dr. Burger. He notes his team is also looking at ways to harness these cells to repair and protect the kidney from further damage.

Meet Dr. Dylan Burger

The Ottawa Hospital is changing what we know about kidney disease and how we treat it. Meet Dr. Dylan Burger, just one of the experts whose practice-changing research is helping patients today and changing the kidney care of tomorrow.

Q&A with Dr. Burger

From the lab to the bedside

For people living with kidney disease, the consequences are often life-altering. Dialysis can require hours of treatment multiple times a week, if not every day. Transplant eligibility depends on timing, overall health, and availability of donor organs. That’s why Dr. Burger’s research is so critical.

Research like this has the potential to change what a kidney disease diagnosis means for patients like Mauro Burri. For Mauro, kidney disease didn’t just affect his health, it shaped his entire life. Diagnosed more than 51 years ago, Mauro has lived with kidney disease since he was just five years old. Kidney disease can have many causes, but at the time, doctors were unable to determine what led to Mauro’s.

“The hope is that research like this could change the future for patients, so that kidney disease doesn’t have to define someone’s life.”

— Mauro Burri

Over the decades, Mauro’s life has been marked by treatments; years on dialysis, including both peritoneal and hemodialysis; and the hope and uncertainty that comes with transplant surgery. “Even a successful transplant is not a cure,” explains Mauro.

He reflects on long hours hooked up to dialysis machines and the uncertainty of waiting for a compatible donor kidney. Today, Mauro is living with his third transplanted kidney — a reminder of the resilience required of patients and the ongoing challenges they face, both physically and mentally. His journey reflects the long and unpredictable path of many kidney disease patients.

This is where Dr. Burger’s research is transformative. His work could help patients like Mauro avoid years of dialysis, delay or even prevent the need for transplant, and maintain their quality of life.

Changing the course of kidney disease for the next generation

For someone who has lived with kidney disease for more than half a century, the implications are significant for Mauro. “The hope is that research like this could change the future for patients, so that kidney disease doesn’t have to define someone’s life,” he says.

“It feels good to give back and support research that could change the course of kidney disease for the next generation.”

— Mauro Burri

Mauro has also been actively involved in helping raise funds for kidney research, supporting work like Dr. Burger’s through The Kidney Foundation of Canada’s La Serata Italiana gala, which helps generate both funding and awareness for The Ottawa Hospital’s Kidney Research Centre. Established in 2000, the Kidney Research Centre is Canada’s first research facility devoted exclusively to investigating diseases that attack the kidney.

“It feels good to give back and support research that could change the course of kidney disease for the next generation,” says Mauro.

National recognition for groundbreaking work

Dr. Burger’s work is gaining national attention. He is the most recent recipient of the Dr. John B. Dossetor Research Award from The Kidney Foundation of Canada, one of the country’s most prestigious honours for his line of work. The award recognizes excellence, leadership, and innovation that advance the future of kidney care.

While he is incredibly grateful, Dr. Burger remains focused on what lies ahead. “The real impact,” he says, “is what this research could mean for individuals impacted by kidney disease.”

Advancing discovery in kidney care

Innovative kidney research projects, like Dr. Burger’s, have received critical early-stage funding through the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute’s ELEVATE seed grants, funded in part by donor support to The Ottawa Hospital Foundation. These grants help researchers test bold ideas that may one day improve the lives of patients, not only in Ottawa, but globally.

Donor support has also played a vital role in advancing kidney research by helping scientists push boundaries, train the next generation of researchers, and translate discoveries from the lab to the clinic faster than ever before.

For Dr. Burger, that support fuels his goal of changing what a kidney diagnosis could mean for patients. “If we can identify kidney stress earlier and protect the kidneys before damage becomes permanent,” he says, “we can give people a much better quality of life. It would be life-changing.”

Categories: Kidney, World-Leading Research

Published: February 2026

Few people have shaped the course of health research in Ottawa and beyond as profoundly as Dr. Ronald G. Worton. From discovering critical gene mutations to becoming the first CEO and Scientific Director of The Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI), Dr. Worton helped establish a culture of scientific excellence that continues to define our hospital today. When he arrived in Ottawa in 1996 to help build the hospital’s research program, he brought a collaborative vision that helped shape research at The Ottawa Hospital (TOH), and in the research community at large, for decades to come. And now, even in his retirement, Dr. Worton continues to give back and support the future of healthcare.

A trailblazer in genetic research

Dr. Worton’s path to medicine and research was anything but linear. Growing up in Winnipeg, Dr. Worton initially pursued physics. A chance carpool with biology students, who were energized by emerging discoveries about DNA, sparked his interest in biomedical research. That set him on a new path, first to a master’s degree in radiation physics at the University of Manitoba, and then to stem cell research for a PhD in Medical Biophysics at the University of Toronto.

Recruited to the newly established Genetics Department at Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children, Dr. Worton emerged as a trailblazer in genetic research. As head of a research team, he helped discover the dystrophin gene, demonstrating that mutations in this gene cause Duchenne muscular dystrophy. At the time, gene discovery was still in its earliest stages, and this breakthrough helped lay the foundation for the Human Genome Project, a global effort to map all human genes and transform how scientists understand disease.

“What makes research thrive isn’t competition. It’s collaboration, shared ideas, and a willingness to support one another.”

— Dr. Ronald G. Worton

For Dr. Worton, what has been most meaningful is seeing how research into Duchenne muscular dystrophy has continued to advance over time, especially by scientists he recruited to OHRI. He notes the work of Dr. Michael Rudnicki, a senior scientist in regenerative medicine, and Director of the Sprott Centre for Stem Cell Research. Dr. Rudnicki’s team is conducting promising research that could one day lead to new treatment options with the potential to change the lives of children with muscular dystrophy.

When reflecting on this, Dr. Worton shares, “What makes research thrive isn’t competition. It’s collaboration, shared ideas, and a willingness to support one another.”

Contributing in new ways

This spirit of collaboration shaped Dr. Worton’s approach to leadership and to giving back. When he retired in 2007, colleagues, friends, and supporters came together to establish the Dr. Ronald G. Worton Researcher in Training Award. While it originally recognized outstanding research by students and postdoctoral fellows across all disciplines, the award is now focused on those trainees who specialize in lab-based research.

When considering how best to give back in support of our hospital, Dr. Worton noted that this Researcher in Training Award was supported by a strong endowment fund that was fulfilling its purpose, so he shifted focus to supporting our Campaign to Create Tomorrow. He saw the campaign as an opportunity to contribute to the future of healthcare in a meaningful way.

Now, with a $50,000 commitment, Dr. Worton has stepped forward, not only as a major donor, but also as a Campaign Patron. He hopes his gift will encourage other community leaders to follow suit, just as he was inspired by Campaign Patron and former long-time President and CEO of The Ottawa Hospital, Dr. Jack Kitts.

“Becoming a Campaign Patron felt like the right way to contribute and to support this next chapter. I hope that by stepping forward, I can inspire other leaders to give as well,” says Dr. Worton.

Passing the torch to young researchers

To this day, Dr. Worton remains deeply engaged with the hospital and research community he helped build. His support reflects a belief in what the new hospital campus and its research will make possible for patients, researchers, and our community for generations to come.

“In one way or another, I hope this gift supports young researchers, providing them with the space, tools, and opportunities they need to fuel the next generation of discovery.”

— Dr. Ronald G. Worton

That belief in the power of research has guided his distinguished career and is reflected in the honours he has received, including induction into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame and appointment as an officer of the Order of Canada.

“In one way or another, I hope this gift supports young researchers, providing them with the space, tools, and opportunities they need to fuel the next generation of discovery,” says Dr. Worton.

Through his leadership and philanthropy, Dr. Worton is passing the torch — investing in discovery, empowering the next generation of researchers, and ensuring a strong future for healthcare in our community and beyond.

Categories: Creating Tomorrow, Donors

Published: February 2026

Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG) are no strangers to supporting charities in the nation’s capital. From the Boys & Girls Club of Ottawa to Crohn’s and Colitis Canada to the United Way, BLG has been making an impact in the community for many years.

Now, they are making a significant gift to the future of healthcare with a commitment of more than $430,000 in support of the Campaign to Create Tomorrow — a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build one of the most technologically advanced research and teaching hospitals in Canada, right here in Ottawa.

A partner-driven philanthropic initiative

Led by Ryma Nasrallah, Partner and Co-Leader of BLG’s Charities and Not-for-Profit Law Group, and Larry Elliot, Managing Partner of the Ottawa office, this partner-driven philanthropic initiative brings together a $200,000 corporate gift from BLG, alongside personal commitments from 18 partners across the firm.

Together, these gifts will support the campaign’s vision to help build a new hospital and take research to unprecedented heights — not only here in Ottawa, but beyond.

For Larry, supporting the campaign is a no-brainer. Born and raised in Ottawa, he feels a deep responsibility to give back to the community.

“Healthcare touches everyone, whether it’s a loved one, a neighbour, or a friend,” says Larry. “Our commitment to this campaign reflects a deep belief in supporting care when our community needs it the most.”

Ryma also played a central role in engaging colleagues in support of the campaign. As a member of The Ottawa Hospital Foundation’s Board of Directors and Executive Committee, she understands the pressures on our healthcare system and the need for a new hospital to better support patients, physicians, and researchers.

“Anyone who is familiar with the Civic Campus knows it’s over 100 years old,” says Ryma. “Just imagine what a modern hospital will bring in terms of advancements in patient care and research. This project will touch every one of us, whether directly or through someone we love, and we have a civic duty to support it however we can.”

‘We’re doing this in his memory’

BLG’s support is deeply personal. The idea of a collective gift to the hospital was inspired by the legacy of former Managing Partner of the Ottawa office, Marc Jolicoeur. Around the time of his 2022 passing from brain cancer, the Marc Jolicoeur and Kathleen Faulkner Legacy Endowment Fund was established at The Ottawa Hospital.

“His legacy lives on, and we’re doing this in his memory,” says Ryma. That spirit of giving continues to inspire BLG and its partners today, shaping their commitment to the hospital through the Campaign to Create Tomorrow.

With this donation, BLG and its partners are stepping forward once again to help shape healthcare for the future. Their commitment is helping build a hospital designed to meet the needs of a growing city and to serve our community for generations to come.

Thank you to BLG and the partners involved. Your leadership reflects a shared belief in a future where Ottawa leads in compassionate care, research, and innovation.