Our Foundation’s strategic plan charts an ambitious path in support of The Ottawa Hospital and, ultimately, the patients, donors, and community members we serve. We are committed to helping reshape the future of healthcare for our region and creating a better tomorrow.
The strategic objectives of our plan are:
Inspire the community’s generosity to advance the TOH mission and vision to reshape the future of healthcare
Successfully complete the Campaign to Create Tomorrow
Prepare for futures philanthropic priorities supporting the strategic plan of The Ottawa Hospital
Empower our team to meaningfully connect with donors and volunteers
Increase the profile and reach of the TOH brand
Promote The Ottawa Hospital’s regional healthcare strategy, national research and innovation leadership, and global recognition.
Reach key segments of donors in our community with innovative approaches for engagement
Sustain a community presence that nurtures The Ottawa Hospital brand and supports and cultivates gifts by acquiring, valuing, and retaining donors at all levels
Connect meaningfully with our donors, volunteers, and community
Deliver an exceptional donor experience
Build an exceptional volunteer team that reflects the diversity in our community
Advance the responsible use of technology
Invest in leading-edge infrastructure, technology, and processes to enhance the donor experience and optimize effectiveness
Develop and implement a comprehensive data strategy for the Foundation
Investigate and implement new tools incorporating AI to connect with our donors
Empower our people
Commit to a rewarding work experience and talent management program for employees, positioning the Foundation as the leading charity employer in the region
Build an inclusive staff team that reflects the diversity in our community
Message from our President & CEO and Board Chair
In 2022, we launched our Campaign to Create Tomorrow — the most ambitious fundraising campaign in the history of our city — with a goal of $500M. We’re now more than 70% of the way there and remain committed to achieving our goal over the next three years.
But it is more than just a fundraising target — it’s a shared commitment to help The Ottawa Hospital reshape the future of healthcare for today and for generations to come. Our Foundation’s strategic plan is critical to that vision, so we remain focused on the successes that are still to come.
Thank you for walking this path with us. Together, we are building a future where extraordinary care isn’t just a goal — it’s a promise.
TIM KLUKE President & CEOThe Ottawa Hospital Foundation
JANET McKEAGE Chair, Board of DirectorsThe Ottawa Hospital Foundation
TIM KLUKE President & CEOThe Ottawa Hospital Foundation
JANET McKEAGE Chair, Board of DirectorsThe Ottawa Hospital Foundation
Inspire the community's generosity to advance The Ottawa Hospital's mission and vision to reshape the future of healthcare
Successfully complete the Campaign to Create Tomorrow
Prepare for futures philanthropic priorities supporting the strategic plan of The Ottawa Hospital
Empower our team to meaningfully connect with donors and volunteers
Increase the profile and reach of The Ottawa Hospital
Promote The Ottawa Hospital’s regional healthcare strategy, national research and innovation leadership, and global recognition.
Reach key segments of donors in our community with innovative approaches for engagement
Sustain a community presence that nurtures The Ottawa Hospital brand and supports and cultivates gifts by acquiring, valuing, and retaining donors at all levels
Connect meaningfully with our donors, volunteers, and the larger community
Deliver an exceptional donor experience
Build an exceptional volunteer team that reflects the diversity in our community
Advance the responsibile use of technology
Invest in leading-edge infrastructure, technology, and processes to enhance the donor experience and optimize effectiveness
Develop and implement a comprehensive data strategy for the Foundation
Investigate and implement new tools incorporating AI to connect with our donors
Empower our people
Commit to a rewarding work experience and talent management program for employees, positioning the Foundation as the leading charity employer in the region
Build an inclusive staff team that reflects the diversity in our community
Highlights of our success
To hear how we’re progressing on our Campaign to Create Tomorrow, visit: creatingtomorrow.ca
We will strive to be the most efficient, effective, and respected hospital foundation in Canada, providing optimal support to The Ottawa Hospital.
Our mission
We are a team of professional staff and community leaders passionately committed to inspiring, enabling, and celebrating community support for The Ottawa Hospital, in the pursuit of discovery and with exceptional kindness and courage, our hospital colleagues bring hope to every patient through world-class care and research.
Our values
We strive to inspire and help the community support The Ottawa Hospital.
We are donor-centered in all our activities.
We work hard to build lifelong relationships with our donors.
We are committed to serving our community in both of Canada’s official languages.
We are committed to being accountable to all our stakeholders.
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.
Dr. Guillaume Martel
Liz and Arnie Vered with their six children and son-in-law
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.
Rowan Ladd participated in a clinical trial at The Ottawa Hospital
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.”
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.”
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.
Rowan with her dog
Rowan with her two daughters and husband
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.”
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.
“There’s not an infinite amount of blood available in hospitals — it’s a precious resource.”
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.”
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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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.
Chantal with her father, Jean-Yves Theriault and sister, Brigitte Theriault
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.”
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.”
“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.
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.”
“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.
“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 is a program coordinator for the Critical Care Unit
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, Patient Care, Patient Care, Patient Care, Patient Care, Patient Care, Patient Care, Patient Care, Patient Care
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.”
Jen receiving care
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.
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.
Jen with her husband and two children
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: Cancer
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.”
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.
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.
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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.
Dr. Dominick Bossé
“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."
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 Trickey
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."
“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 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.
Dr. Michael Ong and Larry Trickey
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.
As the 100th anniversary of the Civic Campus inches closer — marking a century of care and medical breakthroughs — plans continue for the next 100 years of healthcare in our region. The final designs of the new hospital campus will come together in the next year. During this design phase, patients, leaders and staff at The Ottawa Hospital, Indigenous partners, and members of the community are all helping to refine the details of this new state-of-the-art health and research facility.
And while designs are finalized for the new hospital, construction of the parking garage to support the new campus is well underway.
Building a new hospital is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and it’s an opportunity that has business leaders, families, foundations, and many other community members stepping forward to support the $500-million Campaign to Create Tomorrow, which has raised an incredible $336-million to date in the region’s largest fundraising initiative.
Lisa Young, Senior Planning Project Manager at The Ottawa Hospital
Designing state-of-the-art operating rooms
The new campus will increase The Ottawa Hospital’s number of operating rooms (ORs) to help meet projected volume increases for surgeries in the future. These state-of-the-art ORs will be where some of the most life-changing care is delivered.
“It will enhance the patient experience and work efficiencies."
According to Lisa Young, Senior Planning Project Manager at The Ottawa Hospital, the functionality of that space will be key to accommodating not only more procedures, but also new equipment and technology. “It will enhance the patient experience and work efficiencies. We’re also focusing on the function of what the teams providing care do within these spaces, rather than the physical form of the building.”
Optimizing workflow in and around the ORs
Enhancements will include a bay of ‘block rooms’ where pre-surgery preparation can take place outside the main OR itself. These rooms can be used for patients receiving regional anesthesia before entering for surgery, helping reduce potential delays, and making the best use of time in the OR for both patients and care teams.
Dr. Sundaresan, Head of the Department of Surgery, and a clinical thoracic surgeon, explains that location of the ORs is vital for optimizing workflow, especially during critical moments. “The ORs at the new campus will be located next to the interventional radiology suites, which is exciting,” he says.
“When the new campus opens, we’ll have one of the most state-of-the-art surgical facilities in Canada, if not North America.”
Interventional radiology is a medical specialty that performs minimally invasive treatments using x-ray imaging to guide small instruments, like catheters, through blood vessels and organs to treat a variety of diseases. “In the event there’s a complication during that procedure, sometimes the patient must go urgently into an OR. Now, the patient won’t have to be moved to another location to access the OR — it will be right there.”
New and emerging technologies will also enhance patient care. “When the new campus opens, we’ll have one of the most state-of-the-art surgical facilities in Canada, if not North America,” says Dr. Sundaresan. “Taking advantage of technology that will help us take surgery to the next level is one of the most exciting areas for development in the future.”
New neurosurgery rooms will come with innovative technology
Teams are also exploring innovative technologies such as an intraoperative MRI machine that captures real-time images of the brain during surgery.
Built on a rail system in the ceiling and considered a gold standard for procedures like brain tumor surgery, this MRI machine would be housed within the operating theatre, but just outside the operating room itself. If a patient needs imaging during a procedure, a door is opened, and the MRI can slide in on rails without having to relocate the patient with minimal disruption.
One of the goals in current design plans is for all ORs to have full audio video (AV) integration to help accommodate minimally invasive surgeries and for teaching purposes.
“Having AV integration in each suite provides more flexibility for patients,” Lisa explains. “We currently have specific rooms at each campus that can accommodate this, but having monitors and the ability to connect cameras in all of the ORs will be a new baseline of care that we could provide at the new campus.”
Digital solutions for a proactive approach to care
Glen Kearns, Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer at The Ottawa Hospital
There are plenty of opportunities for technology to make a positive impact on patient care and experience.
“We’re striving to build on the digital experiences that people have in other areas of their lives to enhance the healthcare services we provide.”
“We’re striving to build on the digital experiences that people have in other areas of their lives to enhance the healthcare services we provide,” says Glen Kearns, Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer at The Ottawa Hospital. “Whether it’s inpatient care, preparing a patient before they even visit the hospital or following up with them at home, technology can offer solutions and more seamless care.”
Our hospital is also exploring the possibility of remote or virtual admissions to better support seamless inpatient and at-home care. The goal is to launch at the current campuses in advance, so it’s operationally ready on day one at the new campus.
“We want to leverage technology to reduce in-hospital admissions, wait times, and improve how patients interact with our teams.”
“We want to leverage technology to reduce in-hospital admissions, wait times, and improve how patients interact with our teams,” says Mathieu LeBreton, Senior Project Manager and Digital Experience Lead. “Ideally, we’ll have technology that enables and enhances workflow and reduces workflow burden on staff to improve their day-to-day experience.”
Mathieu adds that technology will be integrated to improve the experience of patients who are admitted. All rooms will be single patient and will have digital access so patients can stay connected with care providers and loved ones and access their health information, appointments, and entertainment. Throughout the new campus, technology can also help patients and visitors navigate the hospital.
Mathieu LeBreton, Senior Project Manager and Digital Experience Lead
The role of AI
In recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) has made great strides in becoming a useful and adaptable tool in the workplace. Our Digital Solutions team is already looking at innovative ways to harness the power of AI.
The Ottawa Hospital recently announced a trial of Dragon Ambient eXperience (DAX) Copilot which uses ambient, conversational, and generative AI to create draft clinical notes during patient appointments. With patient consent, it securely records and creates medical notes for the physician to review and approve. The Ottawa Hospital is the first in Canada to trial this innovative solution aimed at reducing physician burnout and time spent on administrative tasks and allowing physicians to spend more time interacting with patients providing care.
A hub for biotherapeutics research
The Ottawa Hospital is already a global research powerhouse, and the new campus will help take our research to unprecedented heights.
The expansion of the Biotherapeutics Manufacturing Centre (BMC) at the new campus will boost our capacity to develop and manufacture lifesaving biotherapeutics, including vaccines, gene therapies, and cell therapies right here in Ottawa.
Over the last 15 years, researchers at our hospital have led more than 20 world-first clinical trials using biotherapeutics such as stem cells, cancer-fighting viruses, and cellular immunotherapy. These trials are possible because the BMC is a specialized clean-room facility that develops and manufactures novel therapeutic products incorporating cells, genes, viruses, and other biological materials.
The BMC is the most experienced and successful facility of its kind in Canada, with more than 40 full-time staff currently based at the General Campus. It consistently operates at full capacity and is booked far in advance with both academic and industry clients — making this expansion vitally needed to further push the boundaries of research and bring more treatment options to patients.
Looking ahead to the next century of healthcare in Ottawa
When the Civic Campus first opened 100 years ago, the world had just emerged from a pandemic and the new hospital was considered the most modern in North America. Now, we find history repeating itself. We are witnessing the community rally together behind a historic campaign that will take research to the next level and help support the most modern and cutting-edge hospital campus in the country. This will transform the patient experience for generations to come, and we invite you to join us.
Categories: Biotherapeutics, Creating Tomorrow, Innovation and Technology, Neuro, New Campus Development, Patient Care, Strengthening Critical Services, Technology, Trauma
Published: May 2024
Emmy Cogan was extremely tiny when she arrived in this world, but the impact of her birth was big. Born at 23 weeks gestation, she weighed only 515 grams — that’s just over one pound. Emmy was one of nine babies enrolled in a world-first cell therapy trial to heal the lungs of preemies and was the first in North America to receive the therapy. Now, that promising trial is ready for its next phase.
Her early arrival happened not long after first-time parents Alicia Racine and Mike Cogan returned from a trip to Hawaii. Alicia was back at work as a 911 operator for the Ottawa Police when her water broke.
“My sister works with me, and she brought me to The Ottawa Hospital’s General Campus. I was in a lot of pain, and I wasn’t too sure what was going on. And then we found out that it was contractions, and I started dilating,” explains Alicia.
Born at 23 weeks gestation, Emmy Cogan weighed just 515 grams.
The baby would hold on for another six days before being born on February 20, 2023. Those few extra days in the womb were critical to give Emmy a chance at life. “It changed the game entirely for us and her. She was able to be intubated, and she just started fighting from that moment on,” explains Mike.
Health challenges lie ahead
Initially, Emmy was cared for in The Ottawa Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), followed by 10 days at CHEO before returning to our hospital.
Emmy’s first month of life faced many challenges, including a duct between her heart and lungs that wouldn’t close, gastro-intestinal issues causing her to become septic, and concerns of a blood infection. Once Emmy got through those life-threatening issues, she was extubated and put on a high-flow oxygen. “We got to hold her for the first time at that point and my parents were able to be there for that, which was really nice,” says Mike.
Emmy also developed bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). This is a condition known to affect many preemies. Because these infants are born so prematurely, their tiny lungs are underdeveloped and require extra oxygen to help them breathe properly. But giving this oxygen — critical for survival — can damage their tiny lungs. It’s like starting life with emphysema.
The devastating impact of BPD
In Canada, 1,000 babies are diagnosed with BPD every year. That number jumps to approximately 150,000 worldwide. Often, babies with BPD develop other chronic lung diseases, such as asthma, and may require prolonged oxygen and ventilation.
Additionally, they have a high rate of hospital readmissions in the first two years of life. Babies with BPD often have problems in other organs as well, such as the brain or eyes. There is currently no cure, but this world-first clinical trial led by Dr. Bernard Thébaud, a senior scientist and neonatologist, hopes to change that.
Two decades ago, Dr. Thébaud’s team discovered that stem cells from the umbilical cord — known as mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) — could heal lung injury and prevent BPD in newborn rodents. Since then, the team has worked tirelessly, here at home and collaborating with other scientists around the world, to bring this novel therapy to babies and their families through clinical trials. While other trials have tested MSCs for treatment of BPD in premature babies, no other group has used MSCs taken from the whole umbilical cord and processed them the way that Dr. Thébaud’s team has.
What is bronchopulmonary dysplasia?
Bronchopulmonary dysplasia — or BPD — is a chronic lung disease that most often occurs in premature or low-weight babies who have received supplemental oxygen or received mechanical ventilation for long periods.
“In our rodent research, we’ve used stem cells isolated from the umbilical cords of healthy newborns to prevent lung injury or even to some degree regenerate the damaged lung,” says Dr. Thébaud. “We foresee that these stem cells, given during a certain time during the hospital stay of these babies, could prevent the progression of the disease.”
Shortly after Emmy’s birth, her parents met Chantal Horth, a clinical trial coordinator, and were introduced to Dr. Thébaud. “Chantal came to us and said Emmy qualified for the trial,” remembers Mike. “It sounded like a great opportunity.”
"Being a preemie, she’s going to have some health issues, and anything that could help her, we wanted to give her that extra shot."
The couple met with Dr. Thébaud, and he answered a long list of questions they had about the trial. “He’s a very personable guy, and it was very easy to talk to him. We trusted him. Being a preemie, she’s going to have some health issues, and anything that could help her, we wanted to give her that extra shot,” says Alicia.
To qualify for the trial, the premature babies — born at 23- or 24-weeks’ gestation at The Ottawa Hospital — had to be seven to 21 days old and treated in the NICU. They also had to require 35% oxygen. This level of oxygen puts them at 60-70% risk of developing BPD. Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre recruited one baby, becoming the second site involved.
On March 3, 2023, at 11 days old, Emmy received an IV infusion of umbilical cord tissue grown from the donated cords of healthy newborns. It was a special moment for everyone involved. She was the first baby in North America to receive this kind of therapy.
"This is the first trial of its kind in the world, and what could be more rewarding than helping preemies?"
“Dr. Thébaud administered the stem cells, and everyone clapped,” says Mike. “She will have follow-up appointments at different stages for two years, and then she’s going to be followed up by phone for 10 years.”
For Dr. Thébaud, it was a moment he and his team had dreamed about. “It was an exciting and huge milestone when that day arrived — after 20 years of work we were able to test this therapy for the first time in a patient. This is the first trial of its kind in the world and what could be more rewarding than helping preemies?”
The next step for this stem cell trial
Thanks to those nine tiny patients, including Emmy, recruitment for the Phase 1 trial is now complete. The purpose of this trial is to test the feasibility and safety of the stem cell therapy. The next phase will test safety as well as how effective it is.
"All the stars lined up to have her be a part of that little piece of history — something that could impact babies like her in the future.”
Emmy with her parents.
“Now we can determine if this therapy will make a difference in patients,” explains Dr. Thébaud. “There will be two groups in the next phase — one that will receive cells and one that will receive the placebo — it’s a randomized controlled trial. We’ll need 168 patients to determine if these stem cells make a difference.”
While babies for the first phase were recruited from NICUs at The Ottawa Hospital and Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, the next phase will be a multi-centre trial across the country. Dr. Thébaud hopes it will begin by the end of 2024 and it will take two years.
“Working with babies is, I think, the most beautiful job on Earth. Because they’re born, and they have all their life and all their potential in front of them. Our task is to give them a great jumpstart,” says Dr. Thébaud.
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As for Emmy, she left the hospital five months after she was born, and while Mike and Alicia don’t know if the stem cells impacted her health, Emmy is doing well. “We don’t know what she would be like without it, but she’s awesome right now,” says Mike. “We felt very fortunate to be in the right place at the right time for our little girl.”
It’s something Alicia feels makes Emmy all the more unique. “All the stars lined up to have her be a part of that little piece of history — something that could impact babies like her in the future,” explains Alicia.
That’s certainly what Dr. Thébaud is hoping for. “It would change the way we care for premature babies. It’s my hope that these tiny patients have a chance to thrive, grow up, and have an impact on the world around them.”
Emmy doesn’t know she’s made history, but that’s ok. For now, she’s keeping her parents busy. She’s pulling herself up and will be walking in no time. She’s also been off oxygen since November 2023, giving her even more mobility. “It was really fun to have her free. We had a cordless baby for the first time! That was a big step when she didn’t need to rely on the oxygen anymore,” smiles Mike.
This Phase 1 trial is funded by the Stem Cell Network with in-kind matching funds from MDTB Cells GmbH. Dr. Thébaud’s research is also possible because of funding from the Ontario Institute for Regenerative Medicine, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, The Ottawa Hospital Foundation, and the CHEO Foundation.
Categories: NICU, Stem Cell
A CANCER JOURNEY
Randy McElligott’s unusual reaction to his cancer diagnosis
Published: February 2024
When Randy McElligott heard the words “you have cancer”, he didn’t have the average reaction to this type of news. “I was happy. Most people don’t take that attitude, but I saw it as an opportunity to change my life,” explains Randy.
That’s exactly what he did. Randy decided to train for a marathon. He wanted to try something challenging, and he’s been moving ever since.
“I had what’s known as smoldering multiple myeloma. It sits there and doesn’t do anything. It’s like a volcano just waiting to erupt.”
— Randy McElligott
It was July 13, 2005, and Randy was 49 when he received the news — it was a surprise find. His family doctor had ticked off an extra box on the requisition form for his blood test. That mark resulted in the discovery of cancer — or what would become cancer. “I had what’s known as smoldering multiple myeloma. It sits there and doesn’t do anything. It’s like a volcano just waiting to erupt,” explains Randy.
Multiple myeloma is a cancer that starts in a type of white blood cell that’s known as a plasma cell. These cells help the body fight infection, and they can be found in the bone marrow, as well as other tissues and organs.
For nine years, he waited for the “eruption” but maintained his positive attitude. And over those years, he kept busy doing the things he loves, like hosting his jazz radio show, In Transition, on CHUO-FM — a program he’s been doing since 1988. But his greatest distraction has been running. Since his diagnosis, he has completed 12 marathons and about 80 half-marathons. “That kept me sane and kept me focused. By doing marathons, I was building up my mental ability to handle what was ahead for me regarding cancer.”
Becoming symptomatic for multiple myeloma
In 2014, Randy and his wife, Nicole, were in Barbados on vacation, and he became symptomatic. “I was in excruciating pain. I returned home and was hospitalized right away. The cancer had spread to my spine, chest, and sternum.”
Randy makes bi-weekly visits to the General Campus for his treatment.
Once Randy was stabilized, he was discharged, and chemotherapy treatment began at the cancer outpatient at the General Campus of The Ottawa Hospital. He also forged on with his running.
The next big hurdle Randy faced was a bone marrow transplant in October 2015. But true to his character, seven weeks later he did a 10k run and then another marathon. “It’s all because of the cancer. I must prove, even if I have cancer, I don’t have to stop. I wanted to show other cancer patients they can keep going. Look at Sindy Hooper — she is incredible and one of the inspirations in my life to keep going and do these races,” explains Randy.
“I have a great cancer team. If any medical trials are coming up, they know I want to help.”
— Randy McElligott
This cancer journey has been a rollercoaster ride for Randy — he has been in and out of remission several times since his diagnosis almost 20 years ago. But his positive attitude is the one thing that never wavers.
He also credits the specialized team — which includes four hematologists — for always being ready when a new challenge presents itself. “I have a great cancer team. If any medical trials are coming up, they know I want to help.”
Access to clinical trials at The Ottawa Hospital
Access to clinical trials is key for patients like Randy, and thankfully, The Ottawa Hospital has one of the largest and strongest clinical trials programs in Canada. This gives patients access to even more novel therapies. And in addition to helping establish best practices for patient care around the world, clinical trials also provide new hope.
Through his own journey, Randy is doing what he can to help our scientists learn more. “I told my hematologist, Dr. Arleigh McCurdy, she can do anything. I’m your guinea pig. I’m on my second drug trial now. It’s a highly experimental drug and so far, it’s going well. The first trial, three or four years ago, was for another drug, and that worked for a while, but then I relapsed,” says Randy.
“It means the world to have access to this type of care. And if I can help other patients, what could be better?”
Randy is an avid runner.
Maintaining a positive attitude
In the last few years, Randy faced new health challenges. In 2021, within only a few weeks, he lost 30 pounds. It was a bit of a mystery as to what was happening. “It was looking like this was the end of the road for me. I thought my time was running out, but I just said, ‘Cool.’ Hospice care was being planned, but then I started gaining weight again, and I completely rebounded,” explains Randy.
“I never get discouraged. I’m always joking around. It’s been an incredible journey.”
— Randy McElligott
Unfortunately, Randy then had new obstacles to overcome. The following year, he was on a trip to Montreal with his wife when he fell and broke a leg, wrist, and two ribs. Then in February of 2023, he broke the same leg, again. After surgery on that leg, he contracted a potentially life-threatening bacterial infection. He was treated in hospital for a month, and he had to learn to walk again.
These incidents may have taken the biggest toll on him, as they’ve prevented him from running. “I never get discouraged. I’m always joking around. It’s been an incredible journey.”
Today, thanks to the clinical trial he’s currently on, Randy is once again in remission. He hopes to start back on his spin bike to regain his strength so one day he might get back to running — his true love.
Randy makes bi-weekly visits to the General Campus for his treatment.
For now, he makes bi-weekly visits to the General Campus for his treatment. “It was initially every week, but now it’s every two weeks, and it only takes seconds to administer by needle. I think my team is surprised I’ve lasted this long after relapsing several times. But as of today, there’s no trace of the myeloma,” Randy smiles.
While fatigue is preventing him from being active, he continues to entertain radio listeners with his jazz favourites and looks forward to lacing up his running shoes once again.
“It’s really an incredible life.”
Update February 2025:
In December 2024, Randy was diagnosed with AML leukemia and he continues to receive care at our hospital.
The Ottawa Hospital is a leading academic health, research, and learning hospital proudly affiliated with the University of Ottawa.
The way Katie Skidmore sees it, she was living a normal life for a 36-year-old. She had a full-time job in Information Management/Information Technology, and for four years, she worked for a mining company in Vancouver before moving back home to Ottawa last year to work from home. In April 2023, Katie ran a half-marathon, then only a couple of weeks later was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease. The diagnosis would change the course of her life and push her to advocate for advancements in kidney research.
Shortly after her race, while in Calgary on a work trip, Katie started feeling a bit off. “I was feverish and feeling rundown. It was a crazy busy time at work and so that’s what I attributed it to, but then I noticed my urine looked pink,” she recalls. “I didn’t think it was a urinary tract infection (UTI) and my friend suggested I might have a kidney infection.”
She went to a Calgary hospital where some initial tests were done, and they suspected a UTI and prescribed Katie some antibiotics. If symptoms changed, she was to consult her doctor when she returned home. “By the time I got back to my hotel room, I felt even worse and so I booked an earlier flight to Ottawa. Once I was home, I had kidney pain and my urine changed to dark red, so when I landed, I went straight to the hospital.”
Katie Skidmore
Tests revealed a slight decrease in kidney function, so she was monitored overnight. In the morning, her stats improved, and she went home with medication. But when she woke up from a nap,her symptoms had progressed. “I got up to go to the washroom and I couldn’t walk. I also started vomiting.”
Katie in Calgary (late April 2023) at the acute care clinic before coming home to learn she was critically ill.
Alarm bells would soon sound
The next day Katie made another trip to her local hospital. Doctors advised her to continue her antibiotics. Five days later she returned to the hospital because she had stopped urinating altogether. At this point, she wasn’t alarmed — she believed she was healthy and there would be a solution soon.
But alarm bells would soon ring. Her creatinine levels — which monitor kidney function — had gone from 125 to 1,750 in the span of one week. “I didn’t know what that meant, but I thought, ‘This can’t be good.’ The next thing I knew, I had a catheter inserted and then I was put in an ambulance to be transported to the General Campus of The Ottawa Hospital,” says Katie.
What she didn’t know at the time — but her healthcare team suspected — was that her kidneys were failing because of an autoimmune disease.
“It was a Saturday night. I had many injections, there was a line put in my chest, and they did a biopsy of my kidneys,” remembers Katie. “I wouldn’t be able to start dialysis until Monday, but I was like ‘Rock on – get me better and out of here. I have a trip to France planned that I’ve got to get to.’ I was clueless of the severity of what I faced.”
Faced with a rare autoimmune disease
Within a couple of days, Katie was diagnosed with anti-glomerular basement membrane (anti–GBM) disease. She had never heard of it and admits she had a very delayed reaction to the news and what it meant for her future.
“It hit especially hard when I realized my kidney function likely wouldn’t come back. It was horrific news to try and digest. My life is changed forever. I see it as the girl who flew to Calgary and never came back.”
What is anti-GBM disease?
Anti-glomerular basement membrane (anti-GBM) disease is an extremely rare autoimmune disorder in which antibodies from the immune system attack and destroy healthy lung and/or kidney tissue.
Previously called Goodpasture disease, anti-GBM disease occurs in fewer than one in a million people. The exact cause of anti-GBM disease is unknown, but it can be triggered by viral respiratory infections or exposure to chemicals, such as through breathing in hydrocarbon solvents or smoking cigarettes.
Symptoms usually, but don’t always, develop quickly. Treatment involves stopping the production of antibodies, removing the antibodies from the blood, and reducing inflammation. The fast development of the disease means it can cause severe kidney damage before it’s diagnosed. In these cases, dialysis is often required.
The following months were beyond difficult for Katie. Mentally and physically, she felt like a completely different person. “I didn’t recognize the person I saw in the mirror.”
According to Katie, doctors call anti-GBM the worst of the worst for kidney disease. “It comes in out of nowhere and it kills your kidneys in days or weeks,” she explains. “It will leave your body in a few weeks or up to two years and never come back but does its damage. It leaves when there’s nothing else to kill.”
Katie’s been told the disease will likely be gone from her body in six to 12 months — it’s trending down but still active now.
After a week in the hospital, Katie went home with her parents and started to put the pieces together about what her new life would look like — dialysis three days a week and no cure for the kidney disease. That’s what led her to want to create more awareness for this illness and kidney research.
“I depend on medical intervention to stay alive, so I need to get the word out that kidney disease is prevalent,” says Katie. “Once you’re on dialysis, it’s for life. I want the world to know, I’m never cured. I’m not in remission. I’m a kidney disease patient for life.”
What kind of kidney research is happening at The Ottawa Hospital?
It’s for that reason, Katie hopes to see research advancements in kidney disease. While there is no cure, there is significant research happening at our hospital to better understand it and hopefully find a cure.
Dr. Manish Sood is a senior scientist, nephrologist, and former Jindal Research Chair for Prevention of Kidney Disease at The Ottawa Hospital. He recently published a study of more than eight million adults in Ontario that suggested even a modest loss of kidney function is associated with increased health risks. This could result in better ways to prevent chronic kidney disease and related conditions, especially for younger adults.
“The dogma is that healthy, young adults don’t need to worry about kidney function unless it drops to around 50% of the normal level,” explains Dr. Sood. “But our research suggests that even a more modest 20-30% drop may have consequences, and we may want to have earlier conversations about prevention and monitoring.”
When it comes to prevention, researchers are attempting to engage the community. Dr. Sood and his colleagues have developed an online calculator that can estimate a person’s risk of developing chronic kidney disease. Early-stage chronic kidney disease has no symptoms, and its onset can often be reduced with lifestyle modifications such as diet, exercise, and quitting smoking. This calculator may improve awareness and help people reduce their risk.
“Our goal is to improve awareness of chronic kidney disease and to empower and personalize care for patients. Our calculator is a simple tool that can be completed by anyone without prior medical knowledge or blood work.”
Care for dialysis patients across eastern Ontario and beyond
Katie began her in-centre hemodialysis treatments at the General Campus and then in June, moved over to the Riverside Campus. She quickly learned what a drastic change this was going to be for someone who was always on the move — now she would be a frequent flier at the hospital.
The nephrology program at our hospital provides care to residents of Ottawa and most of eastern Ontario who suffer from kidney disease. It also serves as a referral centre for the Renfrew and Sudbury area. The Ottawa Hospital’s nephrology program is one of the largest in Canada and offers a broad range of services to those affected by this illness.
Katie Skidmore with her home hemodialysis equipment.
With the expertise of her care team, Katie felt she was in good hands. “There are really supportive people at dialysis — the care team is amazing.” But she admits, as a young patient, she didn’t see many people her age. “For example, I sat next to a 75-year-old gentleman who was great, but he said ‘I’ve lived my life. I can accept this, but I wouldn’t if I were you.’”
It’s conversations like that one, the support of the dialysis team, and Katie’s desire to be more independent, that led her to explore home hemodialysis. She started with a chest catheter implanted to start, and then training began. Her weeks were busy in preparation. “It’s 12 hours of therapy and then 12 to 13 hours of training for home hemodialysis — that started in mid-September. You learn everything from how to set up your machine, connect yourself, troubleshoot if there are issues, do your blood work, change your dressing, and disconnect,” explains Katie.
It takes a lot for a patient to prepare for, but the hospital provides all the support required so that patients can live more independently, which is exactly what Katie has hoped for.
“I feel mentally prepared for it now. I feel physically capable. My blood pressure is under control. I can look at the line in my chest without crying.”
With everything set up in her home, Katie completed her first home hemodialysis in mid-October. She continues to be cared for by Dr. Deborah Zimmerman and Dr. David Massicotte-Azarniouch — one focused on her kidneys and the other focused on the anti–GBM.
Katie baking at home
Awaiting a kidney transplant
It’s expected she will be ready for a kidney transplant this summer — she just needs a kidney first. Katie is on a kidney transplant list, and she has people stepping forward to see if they could be a living donor.
As she adjusts to her new life, she is determined to plan for her future. “I have more life to live. I want to travel more, especially internationally. I’ve investigated Dialysis at Sea — cruise ships that offer nephrology care. I want to live my life as much as I can.”
But Katie is also here to remind people that she is still not better — her life is completely different today compared to six months ago.
“When people saw me acutely sick, and they see me now going to the gym and travelling across the country, they say it’s so amazing to see you healthy. But I’m not healthy. I’m on dialysis three days a week,” she says.
"I want to project that I’m healthy, I don’t want anyone to forget that I’m part human, part machine. For 15 hours a week I require a machine to keep me alive.”
And so, she moves forward, as an advocate for kidney disease and a desire to push the boundaries of kidney research for her and others like her.
Tanya Di Raddo was 15 years old when she started having severe headaches — she was diagnosed with migraines. As time progressed, the headaches continued. Decades later, she turned to The Ottawa Hospital and was diagnosed with not one, but two illnesses — a brain tumour and multiple sclerosis (MS).
By her late 20s and early 30s Tanya was married and had two children, and the headaches remained a constant part of her life. As her kids grew, she faced a difficult time when her son began suffering from mental health challenges. He was later diagnosed with first-episode psychosis, so she pushed her health issues to the side and persevered.
As time progressed, the headaches worsened — there were times when Tanya couldn’t lift her head off the pillow because the pain was so debilitating. It was still considered a migraine, but she also started to notice something wrong with her right hand. “I don’t know if I’d describe it as tremors, but my right hand would form a claw,” remembers Tanya.
Shocking discovery of a brain tumour plus an MS diagnosis
By the spring of 2021, Tanya started to experience pain in her left eye — soon her vision deteriorated significantly. “You know when you see dark clouds in the sky?It was like that in front of my eye. I could kind of seeperipherally, but at night, I couldn’t see car lights out of that eye at all, not even colour,” explains Tanya.
Tanya and her cat, Zeus.
“I knew something big was wrong for a long time, so in some ways, the MS diagnosis made sense, but the discovery of a tumour as well was a shock.”
After an extensive examination by her eye doctor, she was referred to the University of Ottawa Eye Institute of The Ottawa Hospital. She met with a neuro-ophthalmologist and was diagnosed with optic neuritis, an inflammation that damages the optic nerve. However, Tanya also needed further testing to better understand the root of her headaches and vision loss. She never imagined what that test would reveal.
MRI results showed both MS lesions and a brain tumour. “I knew something big was wrong for a long time, so in some ways, the MS diagnosis made sense, but the discovery of a tumour as well was a shock,” explains Tanya.
She was immediately referred to Dr. Fahad Alkherayf, a leading skull base neurosurgeon at our hospital. The MRI from mid-summer 2021 showed a large tumour at the back of her brain. “It was a three-and-a-half by five-centimeter mass — the size of a small orange. It was a meningioma, which is a benign tumour that is slow growing, but it was putting pressure on her brainstem and affecting her neurological function,” explains Dr. Alkherayf.
Due to the size of the tumour and the impact it was having on Tanya’s life, Dr. Alkherayf believed surgery was needed within a few months.
In the meantime, she turned to The Ottawa Hospital’s MS Clinic where she met Dr. Mark Freedman, a world leader in MS treatment and research. “She was referred to us after having her vision affected back in mid-2021. We proceeded to confirm a diagnosis of relapsing-remitting MS and then got her onto effective therapy as soon as possible,” explains Dr. Freedman.
A plan for specialized brain surgery
As her MS treatment got underway, surgery to remove the tumour was scheduled for early November. According to Dr. Alkherayf, the surgery carried significant risk.
“The tumor was pressing at the back of the brain — which we call the cerebellum — as well as on the brainstem.” he says. “The brainstem is the main structure which controls a person’s ability to breathe, walk, and state of consciousness.”
“It’s thanks to having a specialized team who work closely with our neuro-anesthesiologists to operate this equipment that we’re able to provide this technique.”
Neural monitoring, with what’s known asinteroperative neuromonitoring, is an important part of this type of specialized surgery. It allows neurosurgeons to watch the patient’s brain and brainstem functions while attempting to remove the tumour. This is where The Ottawa Hospital excels.
“We’re lucky in that we have good support from the hospital where we can do two or three surgeries at the same time with the ability to monitor the patient,” says Dr. Alkherayf. “It’s thanks to having a specialized team who work closely with our neuro-anesthesiologists to operate this equipment that we’re able to provide this technique.”
The Ottawa Hospital has invested to support this expertise, as it can be challenging to have the right people to operate specialized equipment and interpret the information.
During Tanya’s operation, the surgical team sent a signal through the brain to stimulate her muscles to ensure they were responding during the operation. “Even though she was asleep, we’re still able to look at the function of the brain and brainstem, as if she’s awake,” says Dr. Alkherayf.
Additionally, the system also helps the surgical team monitor the cranial nerve, which controls swallowing, for example. This prevents any possibility of damage during the surgery. If the nerves become irritated during the operation, the surgical team gets a signal.
“When that happens, we stop immediately and change our course of action during the surgery,” says Dr. Alkherayf.
“If you don’t have that technology, then there is the risk of causing damage and you wouldn’t notice it until the patient wakes up.”
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During an almost eight-hour surgery, the large tumour pressing on Tanya’s brainstem was completely removed.
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Not just saving a life, but also maintaining quality of life
For Dr. Alkherayf, it’s not only about saving a life, but also about maintaining quality of life. He acknowledges it puts more stress on the team knowing they are caring for a young person, who has many years ahead of them.
“A good analogy is a bomb squad. They want to disable and remove the danger without causing any problems or damage,” he says. “That’s what we’re doing when we remove a tumour like this. We want to remove it without causing any other damage that could impact the patient’s life.”
The good news for Tanya is the whole tumour was removed during the almost eight-hour surgery. This provided her relief from the excruciating headaches she suffered, and her vision has improved, but colour is not crisp yet. “It’s like an older TV. It’s not 20/20, but it’s better than it was,” explains Tanya.
Looking forward
It’s been two years since that complex surgery with no signs of recurrence to date, and she’ll be closely monitored by Dr. Alkherayf for up to 10 years.
Tanya also continues to be in the care of Dr. Freedman for her MS. She has some challenges with her mobility and regularly uses support to get around, and MS flare-ups continue to impact her day-to-day living.
“I’m doing better today, but cognitively it impacts my life,” she says. “It’s the little things we take for granted that I notice, like leaning forward to make a meal or cutting something. The numbness in my fingers makes it difficult, and sometimes my leg will give out.”
The reality of facing two serious illnesses at the same time is not a uniqueness Tanya was aspiring for or ever thought she’d face, but she’s grateful to have access to the best treatment options available, from complex surgery to ongoing, compassionate care.
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