Celebrating a $2.5-million gift and a long history of meeting patients' needs
TOH Auxiliary’s “on-the-ground” impact
Celebrating a $2.5-million gift and a long history of meeting patients' needs
Published: August 2022
In 1898, almost 125 years ago, a dedicated group called The Friends of TOH established themselves at the General Hospital, which was located at the corner of Water and Sussex at the time. By 1951, The Civic Auxiliary was formed, followed by the Riverside Auxiliary in 1967. These three groups, though separate entities, shared a common purpose: to generate funds within the hospital to meet practical needs. For more than 50 years, this is how things remained. Then in 2021, the three amalgamated into a single voice — a boots-on-the-ground group that is stronger and more efficient than ever. The merger has reinvigorated their desire to react and respond, providing for both the hospital and the patient — and the impact of their generosity is tangible.
Their most recent gift — an incredible $2.5 million — is part of more than $13 million they’ve donated to the hospital in just over a decade. This has allowed the hospital to purchase critical equipment, from cardiac monitors to a new MRI machine.
“We are passionate about being an on-the-ground organization — to be able to react to the needs of the hospital and the patients. That’s what drives us.”
— Catherine Higgens, TOH Auxiliary Board of Directors President
In addition to lifesaving equipment, the Auxiliary works closely with various clinical services, including Psychosocial Services, to ensure patients have essential items. From breast pumps for new parents to an emergency clothing cupboard for patients who are ready for discharge but don’t have proper access to clothing, the Auxiliary’s generosity allows the hospital to provide necessities in real time.
“These actions or items might seem small to some, but they are powerful,” says Catherine Higgens, TOH Auxiliary Board of Directors President. “We are passionate about being an on-the-ground organization — to be able to react to the needs of the hospital and the patients. That’s what drives us.”
There is certainly no shortage of passion among the Auxiliary Board of Directors, their small but mighty staff, and their dedicated volunteers. Collectively, they ensure the smooth operation of several revenue-generating shops, including the gift shops at the Civic and General Campuses and the Auxiliary Shop at the Civic. They also generate funds through strategic community partnerships, including more than 60 Ottawa vendors and members of the arts community. Vendors are given space on campus to sell their products, which not only gives these small local businesses their own important revenue and exposure, but also generates critical proceeds to allow the Auxiliary to continue their important work.
Staying true to their focus on in-hospital fundraising for in-hospital needs, staff have not been forgotten in the mix. For the past 10 years, a portion of funds generated by the Auxiliary has supported a nursing bursary that is awarded to help further develop the skills of our incredible nursing staff. Throughout the pandemic, the Auxiliary has also shown appreciation to healthcare workers by delivering food and treats to staff working long hours.
While their impact may look different from one project to the next, their vision has not wavered for more than a century: to make a positive difference for patients at The Ottawa Hospital and the broader hospital community.
Thank you, TOH Auxiliary, for your long-standing commitment to our hospital and for generously meeting the needs of our patients.
To learn more about TOH Auxiliary’s important work at our hospital or to receive a copy of their annual general report, please email tohauxiliary@gmail.com.
Transformative gift is deeply personal for the Jones family
The Jones Family Foundation donates $10 million to the Campaign to Create Tomorrow and continues to shine a light on the need for kidney research and organ donations.
In the business world, just as in the world of healthcare, numbers matter. Customers served and problems resolved. Patients seen and lives saved. But numbers only tell part of the story.
That’s certainly been the experience for the Jones family. Their journey with The Ottawa Hospital has involved some critical numbers: 33 — the years June Jones has lived with IgA nephropathy, a form of kidney disease; 10 — the years she’s depended on lifesaving dialysis; 8 — the hours per day she’s frequently connected to a dialysis machine.
But the number that matters most is 1. June needs one new kidney, and the Jones family has one fervent hope for a cure.
Like us, the Jones family knows that hope can often be found in the numbers, and they believe their transformative gift will help find a cure for kidney disease, once and for all.
That’s why June and her husband Russ (Shopify’s first CFO before his retirement), with their two grown children and their families, have made a $10-million donation to the Campaign to Create Tomorrow through their family foundation.
The Jones family at Russ and June’s downtown home. Photo by Ashley Fraser.
“We want to help researchers at The Ottawa Hospital have the support they need to find cures right here in our hometown.”
— The Jones family
The $500-million Campaign to Create Tomorrow sets in motion a vision to transform how the world delivers healthcare — by building the most technologically advanced hospital in Canada and taking groundbreaking research and innovation to unprecedented heights.
Philanthropy is a central tenet of the Jones family philosophy. They’ve given generously to a multitude of charities and are longtime supporters of kidney research, both through the Kidney Foundation and here at our hospital. In fact, three laboratories at our Kidney Research Centre at the General Campus and the Hemodialysis unit at the Riverside Campus bear the Jones Family Foundation name.
Thank you, Jones family, for your ongoing transformative generosity and your unwavering belief in a brighter future. From your inspiring advocacy for organ donations to your dedicated support of healthcare, our hospital and our city will benefit from your kindness.
Hear June Jones in her own words explaining what it’s like waiting for a second kidney transplant and why research is so important.
The Campaign to Create Tomorrow is the largest fundraising campaign in our region’s history. It will help fulfil the most ambitious vision ever for the future of The Ottawa Hospital, focused on four critical pillars.
See how we’ll become the most technologically advanced hospital in the country, using the latest tools to provide the right care in the right space with the right provider.
Through our unique collaborative model of clinicians and researchers working side-by-side, we will bring groundbreaking discoveries to patients in Ottawa — and around the world.
Rare is a word used to describe Bryde Fresque on many levels. He has a zest for life that sets him apart. In fact, his physician Dr. Carolyn Nessim, a surgical oncologist and clinician investigator at The Ottawa Hospital saw this firsthand when Bryde faced a diagnosis that would have him battle for his life, with one rare condition after the other. Ultimately, it would take a skilled team to come up with a diagnosis and treatment for Bryde – a pheochromocytoma – an uncommon tumour that left Bryde’s future uncertain.
Bryde’s journey to his diagnosis of a rare cancerous tumour began on Boxing Day of 2012. He was travelling home from Napanee when he started to have pain in his left side. He stopped at a pharmacy just outside Ottawa and by the time he got to the counter he was doubled over in pain. The pharmacist told Bryde to get to the closest hospital — a community hospital was not far away.
Not long after arriving in their emergency room, Bryde was sent by ambulance to The Ottawa Hospital where he could receive care that is more specialized. He was in a tremendous amount of pain. Upon arrival, Bryde was suffering from a spontaneous hemorrhagic rupture of the left adrenal gland and he was bleeding significantly. Thankfully, he was in good hands as our interventional radiologists performed an emergency embolization procedure. This is a procedure where a guide wire was placed in a vessel in his leg and that allowed physicians to get all the way to the bleeding vessel by the adrenal gland, at which point they injected a product that plugged the vessel and stopped the bleeding. He was hospitalized for ten days before he was able to go home.
Unusual symptoms continue to develop
Bryde continued to feel off. A young, active man, Bryde recalls unusual symptoms that he couldn’t shake. “I remember feeling really sweaty, I couldn’t cool down properly. I would stand under the gym’s cold water shower for 15 minutes post bike ride and it didn’t make a difference,” recalls Bryde.
By the summer of 2013, he was going through a battery of tests and questions at our Cancer Centre to try to pinpoint the diagnosis.
“He had such rare conditions – one right after the other.”
— Dr. Carolyn Nessim
Bryde and Natalie kayaking in Iceland.
Though, at only 32 years old, cancer was the furthest thing from Bryde’s mind. “I was young, healthy, a non-smoker, non-drug user, and active. That active part of my life was actually the only time I initially showed symptoms. That’s when I would overheat on even the coolest days and couldn’t cool down afterwards.”
The spontaneous rupture of Bryde’s adrenal gland six months earlier contributed to the challenge of pinpointing a diagnosis. It was believed he suffered from a large hematoma – a large residual clot after the bleed. “He had such rare conditions – one right after the other. A spontaneous rupture of an adrenal gland happens very rarely. I would say the challenge is that because the blood clot is so significant, it hides the underlying tumour and so it’s difficult to identify on imaging,” says Dr. Nessim.
Pinpointing the cause
Bryde Fresque was treated for a rare cancer at The Ottawa Hospital.
As time progressed, Bryde developed issues breathing, he couldn’t bend in certain directions, and then he noticed a distention on his left side. Signs that had been pointing to a hematoma didn’t add up because a hematoma should have healed within a few months, according to Dr. Nessim. That’s when she started looking at the fact this could be a tumour.
Bryde’s case ultimately landed with The Ottawa Hospital Sarcoma Tumour Board. “We meet every Friday to discuss complex cases like Bryde’s. Everyone is in the room including medical oncology, radiation oncology, pathology, radiology, and surgery. We take each individual case and we discuss it as a group to determine the best course of action for a patient,” explains Dr. Nessim.
This panel of experts decided that surgery was the best course of action to not only diagnose Bryde’s condition but to treat him at the same time and remove this tumour that had significantly affected his quality of life. Given the large size of the tumour and the extent of organs it seemed to be invading on imaging, this would be a long and extensive operation with many potential risks and complications that would be best mitigated by a specialized team. The sarcoma team is well equipped and knowledgeable in how to do these complex operations. Our hospital is one of the three Cancer Care Ontario designated Sarcoma Centers in the province. Although Bryde did not have a form of sarcoma, the surgical approach for a pheochromocytoma is the same.
Most unusual pre-op visit
By the fall of 2013, the mass located on Bryde’s left side was now the size of a cinder block. Staying true to his rare and unique personality, Bryde, who loves Halloween, showed up for his pre-op appointment on October 31, 2013, wearing his homemade Iron Man costume!
On November 15, a huge team of more than 20 medical professionals assembled in the operating room. As Bryde lay on the operating table awaiting surgery, he recalls Dr. Nessim telling the team about the Halloween pre-op appointment, “Then she looked down at me and said, ‘Take a deep breath, Iron Man’ as I was intubated.”
Bryde had to put his full trust in Dr. Nessim and her team during the complex, 12-hour surgery. The procedure can carry several risks because although Bryde seemed to have a non-functional pheochromocytoma, with the stress of surgery there is always the risk of stimulating the tumour causing it to release adrenaline, which can lead to a serious increase in blood pressure during surgery. Bryde was given some special medications during the operation to help ensure that didn’t happen.
“I feel privileged every time I’ve been able to help a patient.”
— Dr. Carolyn Nessim
Dr. Carolyn Nessim, Bryde’s surgical oncologist
Just prior to going into the operating room for this intricate surgery, Dr. Nessim reviewed the scans one last time and then visualized each step, planning the order they would follow to remove the tumour successfully. The highly skilled group alongside Dr. Nessim included a urologist, a thoracic surgeon, and a Hepato-Biliary and pancreatic surgeon, along with two anesthesiologists. “It was a big case,” says Dr. Nessim.
Bryde had his left kidney removed, as well as his left adrenal gland, and a third of his pancreas. They performed a colon, bowel, and diaphragm resection and reconstruction for each, removed his spleen as well as an accessory spleen, which can be found in many patients, 10 lymph nodes, and the hematoma. Thankfully, Dr. Nessim was also able to remove the entire tumour. The surgery was a success.
Finding the answers
Bryde spent a total of 40 days in hospital recovering, and it was during that time that he finally received an explanation for his symptoms. He was diagnosed with pheochromocytoma, which is a rare form of tumour that can be cancerous. They usually form on one of the body’s two adrenal glands, which are located above the kidneys, and approximately 10% of pheochromocytomas spread to other parts of the body. Pheochromocytomas can be dangerous because they may produce an excessive amount of the hormone adrenaline, which makes people sick, primarily by increasing their blood pressure. In Bryde’s case, what made a diagnosis challenging before surgery was that his pheochromocytoma was considered non-functional, and his urinary tests for adrenaline markers were negative. But it’s possible it was releasing low levels of adrenalin all along.
“The Ottawa Hospital is very well positioned in the study and treatment of this rare but dangerous tumour.”
— Dr. Neal Rowe
“It potentially explains all his sweating and feeling very flushed and hot as maybe he had a subclinical release of adrenaline,” confirms Dr. Nessim. Bryde also learned the tumour was cancerous.
Expertise in pheochromocytomas
Bryde Fresque, his wife Natalie, and their son Edmond.
Much of the research, around the globe and here at our hospital, focuses on timely detection and treatment of pheochromocytoma. Dr. Neal Rowe is a clinical urologist at The Ottawa Hospital researching this type of tumour. “There are several known genes that increase the risk of a patient developing a pheochromocytoma. By identifying these genes in people, we can test family members, achieve early detection, and better understand the biology behind why these tumors form.” Dr. Rowe says this type of tumour affects between one to two cases per 100,000.
“Thanks to Dr. Nessim and the team at The Ottawa Hospital, I got better – I get to enjoy my life to the fullest. I got to marry the girl of my dreams and I got to become a father.”
— Bryde Fresque
“The Ottawa Hospital is very well positioned in the study and treatment of this rare but dangerous tumour. We have a collaborative group of experts in endocrinology and medical genetics in addition to a dedicated team of anesthesiologists and surgeons. With our research and development of various national initiatives, I think we’re front and centre,” says Dr. Rowe.
Moving forward, upwards, and giving back
Today, Bryde is seven years post surgery, and cancer free, with no signs of recurrence. While his recovery took time, he’s back to living his active life and truly grateful for the care he received. In fact, to raise funds and awareness for rare neuro endocrine cancers, Bryde and his wife, Natalie, climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, as well as the highest pass in the world, located in Annapurna range of the Himalayas in Nepal – all while still being considered a cancer patient.
Bryde and Natalie on Mount Kilimanjaro.
“Being a cancer patient or being sick is a life-changing event. Thanks to Dr. Nessim and the team at The Ottawa Hospital, I got better – I get to enjoy my life to the fullest. I got to marry the girl of my dreams and I got to become a father.” He adds, “I honestly think if I had been anywhere else, if I had been under anyone else’s care, I probably wouldn’t be here today. I really wouldn’t.”
That’s why Bryde also holds an annual Halloween fundraising party, known as Spadinaween, to support our hospital. To date, he’s raised over $10,000 and Dr. Nessim even drops by to show her support.
The special bond between this patient and physician continues, as Bryde even enrolled to help Dr. Nessim with a global research project on sarcomas. For Bryde, it’s an honour to help other patients. “Me giving back to The Ottawa Hospital has come full circle as I was invited to partake in an international study on sarcomas with Dr. Nessim and other doctors from the UK, Italy, the States, Netherlands, and Australia – to help improve the patient experience. If I can turn a negative into a positive. I’m in!”
Seeing Bryde thrive today is what makes those long, grueling days in the operating room and the constant search for answers worthwhile. “It’s why I do my job. It’s the biggest joy and most rewarding,” says Dr. Nessim. “I feel privileged every time I’ve been able to help a patient.”
The Ottawa Hospital is a leading academic health, research, and learning hospital proudly affiliated with the University of Ottawa.
Categories: Cancer, Patient Care, World-Leading Research
There’s a Hindi lullaby that Kalpana Prasad has sung for years— first to her daughters as babies, then to her grandchildren as they came along. It was the first thing she was able to sing following the stroke she suffered in 2021 that confirmed for her she was on the road to recovery. And she credits the incredible care at The Ottawa Hospital for that.
Music has played a large part in Kalpana’s life. The retired federal government economist had learned classical Indian music in her homeland, and perhaps not surprisingly, it was a musical program she and her husband Rakesh were watching on television in their Ottawa home last January when she suddenly lost control of her right hand.
“I somehow knew it was a stroke, just because of how my hand felt.”
Kalpana Prasad
“I somehow knew it was a stroke, just because of how my hand felt,” Kalpana recalls, who urged Rakesh to call an ambulance.
“It happened so suddenly — no warning, nothing,” says Rakesh. “I’m very thankful we have her with us.”
Rakesh and Kalpana Prasad.
Paramedics rushed Kalpana to The Ottawa Hospital’s Civic Campus Emergency Department, which specializes in stroke prevention, care, and recovery. This was during the height of the pandemic, and family visits were difficult. Kalpana says the medical staff and the patient care assistants stepped in to fill that role. Here, her voice breaks as she recalls one particular employee.
“She was like a mother to me, so gentle, so caring. I was so surprised that a stranger could be so kind. That speaks to the care at the hospital; it was every single person there.”
“She was like a mother to me, so gentle, so caring. I was so surprised that a stranger could be so kind.”
Kalpana Prasad
For two days, Kalpana couldn’t speak. She had lost her ability to talk due to the stroke. The couple’s youngest daughter, Ruchi Prasad, is an internist in Maryland and had frequent conversations with doctors about her mother’s condition. Kalpana recalls Ruchi imploring the medical staff to “get her voice back because my mother loves to sing!”
It was the Hindi lullaby Kalpana was first able to hum, then sing, that she recorded and sent to her daughters. When her older daughter Reshma Mathur heard the song, she said, between tears, “Mom, you’re going to be fine.”
Kalpana’s care at The Ottawa Hospital extended to physical therapy and speech therapy, and while she still has some slight issues with her speech, she is incredibly thankful to be alive. This gratitude inspired the Prasads to establish the Rakesh and Kalpana Prasad/Mathur Family Legacy Endowment Fund through a generous donation. The fund supports heart and stroke research at The Ottawa Hospital.
“We believe that we come from nothing and go with nothing. Our idea is that we want to inspire other community members, including other Indo-Canadian community members, because it can happen to anybody at any time.”
Rakesh Prasad
Reshma Mathur and Dr. Ruchi Prasad.
“I need to do something for this hospital that literally saved our lives,” says Kalpana. Rakesh echoes that sentiment, saying the hospital saved him as well after doctors discovered blockages in his heart 20 years ago and implanted two stents.
“We believe that we come from nothing and go with nothing,” says Rakesh, referring to a well-known Hindi phrase. “Our idea is that we want to inspire other community members, including other Indo-Canadian community members, because it can happen to anybody at any time. It’s our responsibility that we should help this community that we so enjoy.”
And there is much to enjoy, including, of course, song.
The Ottawa Hospital is a leading academic health, research, and learning hospital proudly affiliated with the University of Ottawa.
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Taggart Parkes Foundation helps shape the future of Ottawa with a $10-million donation
Taggart Parkes Foundation helps shape the future of Ottawa with a $10-million donation
It is a universal truth that the quality of a foundation most often determines stability and longevity. This can be said of construction, of a family, of a community. This is certainly true in Ottawa, which has been built on the vision and generosity of families like the Taggarts.
With an almost 75-year history in the city, the Taggart Group of Companies has become an award-winning builder, demonstrating their unique ability to create enduring structures and communities — turning empty fields into welcoming, walkable, liveable communities.
Members of the Taggart Family at the cottage in October 2021.
From their first purchase of property in Ottawa’s west end for our returning war heroes to a collection of companies and a formidable workforce, the Taggarts have paved a path to success. But more than that, through their family-run, non-profit organization, the Taggart Parkes Foundation, they have made it their mission to make Ottawa a better, kinder place to call home. From empowering at-risk youth to fostering healthy communities to supporting cancer research, for three generations our city has benefited in countless ways from the Taggart touch.
Now, with a $10-million donation to the Campaign to Create Tomorrow, the Taggart Parkes Foundation is once again investing in our communities, in our future, and their support will not only revolutionize healthcare but will shape our city for generations to come.
The $500-million Campaign to Create Tomorrow sets in motion a vision to transform how the world delivers healthcare — by building the most technologically advanced hospital in Canada and taking groundbreaking research and innovation to unprecedented heights.
Thank you, Taggart Parkes Foundation, for your deep commitment to our communities and your inspirational generosity.
About the Campaign to Create Tomorrow
The Campaign to Create Tomorrow is the largest fundraising campaign in our region’s history. It will help fulfil the most ambitious vision ever for the future of The Ottawa Hospital, focused on four critical pillars.
See how we’ll become the most technologically advanced hospital in the country, using the latest tools to provide the right care in the right space with the right provider.
Through our unique collaborative model of clinicians and researchers working side-by-side, we will bring groundbreaking discoveries to patients in Ottawa — and around the world.
The Northpine Foundation donates $20 million to the Campaign to Create Tomorrow
As a startup philanthropic organization with big dreams, The Northpine Foundation invests in innovative projects that foster sustainable change and enable Canada’s most marginalized populations to thrive.
With a mission to be an impactful force of good and to serve communities that encounter economic and social limitations, they know a better future must be a healthy future.
With their transformational gift of $20 million to The Ottawa Hospital, The Northpine Foundation is making a significant investment in the future of healthcare – not just in Ottawa, but on a national scale, paving the way for a better future for those they serve.
The Campaign to Create Tomorrow is an ambitious $500-million campaign that sets in motion a vision to transform how the world delivers healthcare — by building the most technologically advanced hospital in Canada and taking groundbreaking research and innovation to unprecedented heights. The Northpine Foundation’s donation is part of more than $216 million raised to date.
“We want to create bold, meaningful, and lasting change. And we believe an investment toward a healthier future is the way to achieve that change.”
— Aatif Baskanderi, CEO of The Northpine Foundation
True to The Northpine Foundation’s core value of kindness, along with their rigorous determination for the betterment of Canada, their transformational gift will have a profound impact on healthcare in this country. Their openness to charting a new course will no doubt inspire others to step out, follow their lead, and make an impact for generations.
The Northpine Foundation is funded by Cathy & John Phillips through Klister Credit Corp., an early investor in Shopify Inc.
Thank you, Northpine Foundation, for serving Canadian communities in bold and innovative ways and for your extraordinary generosity.
About the Campaign to Create Tomorrow
The Campaign to Create Tomorrow is the largest fundraising campaign in our region’s history. It will help fulfil the most ambitious vision ever for the future of The Ottawa Hospital, focused on four critical pillars.
See how we’ll become the most technologically advanced hospital in the country, using the latest tools to provide the right care in the right space with the right provider.
Through our unique collaborative model of clinicians and researchers working side-by-side, we will bring groundbreaking discoveries to patients in Ottawa — and around the world.
I was saddened to hear that a pillar of our community, Shirley E. Greenberg, passed away on Wednesday, May 25, 2022. Shirley was a long-time champion of healthcare in our city, not only here at The Ottawa Hospital, but also The Royal Ottawa, the Queensway Carleton Hospital, and more.
Shirley was an inspiring advocate for women’s health, and in 2005, The Shirley E. Greenberg Women’s Health Centre opened at our Riverside Campus, thanks to her generous support. The Centre is a vital piece of the Canadian women’s healthcare network and provides cutting-edge clinical care, education, and research to improve the lives and health of women.
Shirley graduated from the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Law in 1976 — one of only nine women in her class of 60 — and became one of Ottawa’s most prominent women’s rights advocates, a passion of hers since she was young. In fact, she was awarded the Order of Canada and the Order of Ontario for her philanthropy and her advocacy of women’s rights and women’s health.
This is a significant loss for our community, and we offer our heartfelt condolences to her children Marti, Dan, and Phoebe, the extended family, and of course her many friends. All of us at the Foundation remain profoundly moved by her incredible leadership, generosity, and the many ways she shaped our city for the better.
Tim Kluke
“We hope that our gift will help be a catalyst for others to follow our lead.”— Rob Ashe and Sandra Herrick
“We hope that our gift will help be a catalyst for others to follow our lead.”
— Rob Ashe and Sandra Herrick
Leading by example with a $10-million donation to the Campaign to Create Tomorrow
When Rob Ashe first began volunteering with the Civic Foundation back in 1995, he and his wife, Sandra Herrick, never could have imagined they would be part of a vision to transform healthcare for generations to come.
Now, with their donation of $10 million to The Ottawa Hospital, they hope to have an early and direct impact on the success of the most ambitious fundraising campaign in Ottawa’s history.
The $500-million Campaign to Create Tomorrow sets in motion a vision to transform how the world delivers healthcare — by building the most technologically advanced hospital in Canada and taking groundbreaking research and innovation to unprecedented heights.
This incredible donation is part of the $216 million raised to date.
Rob and Sandra have been long-time supporters of the Ottawa community, actively supporting the YMCA, the Boys and Girls Club, the Dom Herrick Entrepreneur in Residence at the Telfer School of Management, and various mental health initiatives. So it was an easy decision to support the Campaign to Create Tomorrow — both through Rob’s role on the campaign executive and through their donation — knowing it will attract a new cohort of healthcare experts to Ottawa and ultimately strengthen critical services like acute mental health care.
From his time at Cognos and IBM to joining the board at Shopify, Rob knows better than most the importance of investing in people. With their gift, Rob and Sandra are making a significant investment in the people of The Ottawa Hospital – some of the brightest minds from around the world. And in turn, this investment will help benefit countless people in their community.
Thank you, Rob and Sandra, for your extraordinary generosity, your volunteerism, and for joining us as we transform the future of healthcare for generations to come.
About the Campaign to Create Tomorrow
The Campaign to Create Tomorrow is the largest fundraising campaign in our region’s history. It will help fulfil the most ambitious vision ever for the future of The Ottawa Hospital, focused on four critical pillars.
See how we’ll become the most technologically advanced hospital in the country, using the latest tools to provide the right care in the right space with the right provider.
Through our unique collaborative model of clinicians and researchers working side-by-side, we will bring groundbreaking discoveries to patients in Ottawa — and around the world.
Celebrating the single-largest healthcare donation in Ottawa history
The Greenberg name in Ottawa has long been synonymous with service to the community and innumerable philanthropic projects. Since 1955, when they created their business, the Minto Group, the Greenberg family members have made a significant impact on the community. In fact, there are few aspects of the city that haven’t been touched in some way by the Greenberg generosity of spirit.
Now, with the single-largest healthcare donation in Ottawa’s history, the shareholders of the Minto Group — Roger Greenberg, chair of the campaign and Executive Chairman of the Board of the Minto Group, his five siblings, and their cousin — have cemented their legacy as pillars of our community.
This incredible $25-million donation is the lead gift to the Campaign to Create Tomorrow — the most ambitious fundraising campaign ever in our region. Our $500-million campaign sets in motion a vision to transform healthcare by building the most technologically advanced hospital in Canada and taking our groundbreaking research and innovation to unprecedented heights.
Guided by a philosophy to leave the world better than when they found it, and with more than 65 years of established roots in this city, the Minto Group’s decision to support this campaign is deeply personal and will have a profound impact.
Thank you, Greenberg family members, for your leadership, extraordinary generosity, and for being catalysts for a healthcare transformation in Ottawa and beyond.
Download episode 59 of Pulse Podcast to hear Roger Greenberg talk more about his family’s gift and why it’s time.
About the Campaign to Create Tomorrow
The Campaign to Create Tomorrow is the largest fundraising campaign in our region’s history. It will help fulfil the most ambitious vision ever for the future of The Ottawa Hospital, focused on four critical pillars.
See how we’ll become the most technologically advanced hospital in the country, using the latest tools to provide the right care in the right space with the right provider.
Through our unique collaborative model of clinicians and researchers working side-by-side, we will bring groundbreaking discoveries to patients in Ottawa — and around the world.
A resident of Goose Bay, N.L., most of his life, John Bookalam lives for the outdoors. He loves adventures, including international cycling and skiing in the winter. The retired guidance counsellor cherishes that time even more today, after a harrowing medical diagnosis unexpectedly led him to The Ottawa Hospital for neurosurgery.
It all began in late winter of 2017 when John returned from teaching a ski lesson. He was unloading his gear from his SUV when he hit the back of his head hard on the hatch door. Initially concerned he might have a concussion, John quickly eliminated the possibility thanks to his first-aid training. However, a week later, he followed up with his family doctor and an ultrasound revealed what appeared to be a hematoma, a collection of blood outside a blood vessel, which would normally resolve itself. “But the next week, I had to see my doctor again and the hematoma went from four centimetres on the ultrasound to eight centimetres,” says John.
“I was so nervous. I could hardly think.”
— John Bookalam
John on his last solo cycle in the mountainous north west part of the isle of Majorca before his 2017 illness.
The situation turns dire
John’s care team in Goose Bay closely monitored him for many weeks. However, by the end of May, he developed symptoms similar to the flu. “I was burning up. I was on fire and I immediately went to the emergency department of my local hospital. Those symptoms would be a bad omen,” says John.
A CAT scan revealed the hematoma had grown from eight centimetres to 10.6, and the situation was becoming dire. He needed a skilled neurosurgery team to help him — a team that was not available in Newfoundland and Labrador. With roots back in Ontario, he turned to his dear friend, Nadia Marshy, from the Ottawa area for guidance.
Nadia vividly remembers the day she got the call from “Labrador John,” a nickname she gave him through their cycling adventures. She was sitting at her desk when she picked up the phone — John was at his wit’s end. “I knew he’d been hit hard on the head and it had caused a large bump. That was weeks earlier, so I presumed that he was all healed up by now. John proceeded to tell me that not only was the bump much larger, but he was in constant pain,” recalls Nadia.
“She played a vital role in identifying The Ottawa Hospital as an emergency life-line to receive lifesaving surgery.”
— John Bookalam
Calling on our neurosurgery experts for help
Following that call, Nadia was beside herself and she knew her friend was in a medical emergency. “Here I was sitting in my sunny downtown Ottawa office with The Ottawa Hospital and all of its innovation and world-class services next door, and there was my dear friend with this massive, infected lump the size of a grapefruit in desperate need of help and so far away.”
Next, Nadia worked to get John in touch with the neurosurgery department at our hospital — she had witnessed the skill firsthand in 2012 when Dr. John Sinclair performed two lifesaving surgeries on someone close to her. “I gave Labrador John the contact information, and within a few short days, he was on a plane to Ottawa,” explains Nadia.
John, far left, and Nadia, fourth from the right.
John credits Nadia for helping save his life. “She played a vital role in identifying The Ottawa Hospital as an emergency life-line to receive lifesaving surgery.”
Once John landed at the Ottawa airport, he went straight to the Civic Campus with all his documents in hand. He met with neurosurgeon Dr. Howard Lesiuk and plastic surgeon Dr. Daniel Peters and handed them his scans to review. They determined the situation was worse than anticipated, and John would need surgery as soon as possible. “I was so nervous. I could hardly think,” recalls John.
A shocking discovery
The surgery would be long and difficult, and it uncovered something far worse than John had ever imagined when he embarked on the trip to Ottawa. Doctors discovered a non-Hodgkin lymphoma tumour on the back right-hand side of his skull and part of his skull was badly infected. While the news was devastating, John recalls the reassuring words that came from Dr. Peters before surgery. “He said I had a strong heart and tremendous lungs, and both would help me during the complicated surgery.”
“We are blessed to have some of the best minds and the most skillful surgeons on the planet right in our backyard. I am convinced what they did for Labrador John is what no one else could have done, and ultimately saved his life.”
— Nadia Marshy
While the news was devastating, Nadia recalls after the surgery, the pain John had experienced for so many weeks was already subsiding. “He received incredible care. The night before his surgery, he was weak, in agony, and couldn’t hold his head up for any length of time because of the pain and the weight of the mass on his head. The next day, he was able to lie on his head and rest in comfort,” says Nadia.
Next, John was transferred to the Cancer Centre at the General Campus for testing to learn more about the tumour. “I underwent a lengthy procedure by an incredible team to diagnose my lymphoma type.”
Primary central nervous system lymphoma
Diagnosed with primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL), John began chemotherapy treatment here in Ottawa before returning home where he would continue his care at the St. John’s Cancer Centre.
Primary central nervous system lymphoma is an uncommon form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. It starts in the brain or spinal cord, in the membranes that cover and protect the brain and spinal cord, or in the eyes. This type of cancer is more common in older adults with the average age at diagnosis being 65.
Further testing revealed John had diffuse large B-cell lymphoma – BB Expressor — an aggressive type of lymphoma.
However, after months of treatment, good news came on February 26, 2018, when John learned he was cancer free.
“After almost four years, I’m cancer free and I’ve healed after three head surgeries. I’ve resumed my cross-country skiing and marathon road cycling.”
— John Bookalam
Not yet out of the woods
His journey, though, was far from over. John returned to Ottawa for one more surgery for skull base osteomyelitis — an invasive infection. Other treatments back home didn’t prove helpful and, once again, John required specialized care.
A highly skilled team at The Ottawa Hospital came together again to perform another difficult surgery. They would use a procedure called debridement and they would need to produce a new blood supply to the area. Debridement is when the surgeon removes as much of the diseased bone as possible and takes a small part of the surrounding healthy bone to ensure they have removed all infected areas. “They scraped the bone down until there was no sign of the infection and then did skin grafting on the back of my head,” explains John. The second part of the procedure was even more complex and involved taking an artery from his back, transplanting it to his head — creating a vital blood supply from his ears to the back of his skull. “I thank plastic surgeon, Dr. Sarah Shiga for being there in my time of need. If it were not for team Shiga and Lesiuk, I would never have achieved the quality of life I have today.”
“I owe much gratitude to the surgeons and staff at The Ottawa Hospital. Hopefully, my story will inspire others to donate so others can regain a quality of life as I have in abundance today.”
— John Bookalam
As a result of the debridement, he lost a significant amount of bone at the rear of his skull. Today, he must be very careful — he wears a helmet even when he’s driving to protect his brain, but his adventures continue. John’s grateful for each day and each outing he’s able to plan. “After almost four years, I’m cancer free and I’ve healed after three head surgeries. I’ve resumed my cross-country skiing and marathon road cycling.”
Nadia is also grateful for what she witnessed. “We are blessed to have some of the best minds and the most skillful surgeons on the planet right in our backyard. I am convinced what they did for Labrador John is what no one else could have done, and ultimately saved his life.”
Labrador John continues to say thank you
John’s gratitude goes beyond just words. He started by recognizing his care team through our Gratitude Award Program. While it was an important way for him to say thank you, it’s the special note he got in return from Dr. Shiga, who was a part of the second surgery, that made the donation extra special. “She wrote me a beautiful, personal handwritten letter. That’s one of the best letters ever sent to me,” says John.
The 73-year-old didn’t stop there though. He became a member of the hospital’s President’s Council when he committed to support our hospital with a donation of $1,000 a year. “I owe much gratitude to the surgeons and staff at The Ottawa Hospital. Hopefully, my story will inspire others to donate so others can regain a quality of life as I have in abundance today.”
Nadia is just as happy to see her friend back living his active life. “To see Labrador John fully recovered and cycling up challenging hills and covering incredible distances is fantastic. Those surgeons gave him his life back. He never takes a moment for granted,” says Nadia.
And John says he never will. “I will always donate that $1,000 a year to The Ottawa Hospital until I pass from the earth.”
John, Summit at the summit of San Salvador.
The Ottawa Hospital is a leading academic health, research, and learning hospital proudly affiliated with the University of Ottawa.
Categories: Cancer, Gratitude Award, Neuro, Patient Care
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