FEATURES
 Danny Beaton and David Walsh at 6 St. Joseph. |
Since then Danny has been running workshops weekly near the corner of Yonge and Wellesley from 4:30pm to 6:30pm to whomever wishes to join him. On average, between five and ten people attend, some regulars and some newcomers. Each week the workshop begins with a thanks-giving Ceremony. “The most important thing I can give is letting people share the Iroquois thanks-giving address,” states Danny. This ceremony begins with acknowledging the gifts the Earth provides us. “I feel it is important for people to know we have a duty to give thanks, just like the plants have a duty to nourish us,” says Danny as he describes the ceremony. “People are looking for a spiritual life and are drawn to Native culture,” he explains. “In [the Native] way of life we are ceremonial; without ceremonies things are missing.” Thus Danny continues to share these practices. Along with giving thanks, Danny maintains a second ceremony, the Purification Ceremony, a Talking Circle, and a ceremony that consists of Native flute and drumming to honour Mother Earth. The workshop comes to a close with a final thanks-giving address: “This workshop shows people how they can heal by giving thanks and connecting with the Natural World.” |
By thanking Mother Earth and appreciating her gifts we begin to show respect. By acknowledging Mother Earth and thanking her for her lifeblood, we begin the path of healing. As Danny states, “Mother Earth is wounded” — and it is humans that have wounded her. Native Americans believe that in order to heal Mother Earth we must acknowledge her Sacred Duty and appreciate the gifts she gives. Only then will she begin to heal. Danny says, “Mother Earth is alive and our old elders teach us that she can hear her children. We are taught by our old elders that everything has a Spirit and must be respected in our way of life. Human beings have a duty to give thanks.” Danny’s passion comes alive as he speaks of Mother Earth and her importance to our lives. As he elaborates more on the subject of the ceremonies and the Native culture, its significance becomes evident: Mother Earth is the essence of human existence and thus needs to be treated with respect. Through each ceremony he practices and each message he sends out, Danny Beaton leads a war against the destruction of the only Earth we have. We need this Earth to thrive. Understanding this concept will indeed make a difference, it will heal the wounds that humans have inflicted upon the only home we know. Danny Beaton is saving our planet, one ceremony at a time. For more information on Danny Beaton or to attend one of his weekly workshops, please visit www.6stjoseph.ca or www.dannybeaton.ca. |
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Kate De Freitas is a freelance writer |
When I entered the University of Toronto medical school, I was pleasantly surprised. The students are not just smart and multi-talented, but also compassionate in heart and action. Despite the heavy class hours, students regularly volunteer in the community. In fact, there are over 20 student-run community programs directed at populations ranging from youth in at-risk neighbourhoods to isolated seniors. Not only are these programs student-run, but student-funded and often student-initiated in partnership with Student Affairs. As current vice president overseeing these programs, I am pleased to highlight some everyday heroes who make these programs a reality.
 Sagar Dugani |
Sagar Dugani, an MD/PhD student, is passionate about ensuring that the health needs of the most vulnerable are met. Sagar grew up in India but also spent time in the UK, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia, seeing firsthand the healthcare systems of various countries. “The poorest areas of Bangalore, Dubai, and Toronto have convincingly demonstrated that human pain and suffering have no geographical, cultural, or racial borders,” he says. Though Sagar has a global health perspective, he has acted locally to address the needs of the most vulnerable. He spent over three and a half years forming partnerships to help create IMAGINE (Interprofessional Medical and Allied Groups for Improving Neighbourhood Environment), a health clinic in which students from various healthcare professions form a team to serve Toronto’s marginalized populations. The IMAGINE clinic served its first patients in October 2010. As students like Sagar give of themselves to the community, students often find they receive a lot too. Penny Yin, a second-year medical student volunteer, says her experiences at IMAGINE have given her “a quick glimpse into the physical, emotional, and social needs of the non-insured, non-status population.” Penny says, “By working with preceptors and students from other healthcare professions, I developed a greater appreciation for humility, for advocacy, and for compassion. Some patients, such as a middle-aged woman who elaborated every single ache and pain in her body, have also forced me to confront my underlying biases towards the underprivileged population, and look past the outward appearance into their deeper needs.” |
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In line with serving the underserved, Danielle Baribeau, a third-year medical student, advocated tirelessly to evolve one of our programs, ChildArts at Holland Bloorview Kid’s Rehab, into a therapeutic arts program geared specifically for adolescents. Adolescence is a particularly difficult time for individuals with disabilities, as services cater mostly toward either children or adults. Often, families need to pay $200 to enrol their children into similar programs in order to cover the cost of specially trained professionals. However, Danielle and the ChildArts co-directors have been adamant that ChildArts be free to participants; their advocacy together with donations from the fourth-year graduating class have made this real. Beginning in 2010, medical students from U of T’s downtown campus have spent their Saturday mornings in Mississauga to tutor Grade 9-10 students (in anticipation of the 2011 opening of U of T’s Mississauga Medical Academy). These everyday heroes find themselves inspired by the transformation in their tutees. One tutee reflects, “I got my report card. I normally would be getting 63 or 64 average, so I was expecting to get that again. But when I opened it, I was flabbergasted. I felt like I was a bird about to fly.” The tutee had earned 78 percent! Indeed, as U of T’s medical students reach out to form relationships, to serve and transform the community, we find ourselves transformed in the process. What better way is there for us to become the compassionate physicians the world is looking for than to start being compassionate now, right here? |
 Danielle Baribeau |
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Enoch Ng is a medical student at U of T and vice president of student services |
Like generals and their armies, doctors and nurses are essential to healthcare
Recently, my family had the misfortune of experiencing the loss of a loved one as the result of a tragic accident. The diagnosis and prognosis were clear cut: “Catastrophic brain injury, no hope of recovery.” Since the diagnosis was so clear, I’d like to focus on the frontline healthcare professionals, the nurses, who cared so dearly for our loved one — and all of us.
There was a two-day period between the delivery of this terrible diagnosis and the eventual end. During those two days I witnessed everyday yet monumental acts of courage and caring on the part of the nursing staff. The critical care ward is an open ward. Everyone in there is suffering terribly in one form or another. Just entering the ward requires a level of spiritual strength that common folk can only summon under extreme circumstances. Signs on patients’ beds like “Exposed Bone Flap” and patients hooked in to many machines through a nexus of wires that looks like the back of a 70’s stereo set make for a scene not suited for the faint of heart. Just the same, each bed has a sign giving more human details about who the person is and their family. Each patient is respected as a person, a vibrant individual — much beyond the collection of bones, flesh, and sinews in distress. The nurses’ positive attitudes, steadfastness about their work, and smiles restored a level of humanity to a place otherwise dank with illness, and miraculously made it almost seem normal.
When the doctors caringly and compassionately delivered the news to our family, it was a nurse who had a box of tissues at the ready. When we first went into the ward to see our loved one, we were all afraid of exactly what we would witness. As we walked through timidly, a nurse gently patted another patient’s chest encouraging him to cough, speaking to him gently, even though he was clearly unconscious. I knew at that moment that in the midst of death and illness, life had an immutable force. As the family gathered around our loved one, we were clearly in their way. Nurses were scurrying about tending to wounds and machines. But we were never made to feel we were in the way; we were made to feel that we were part of the caring that was taking place. The nurses made us feel that our presence was as beneficial as the life-sustaining equipment that was strewn around us. Both the nurses and doctors chorused in unison that our speaking to our loved one, even though the medical evidence suggested she couldn’t hear us, was necessary and helpful to all.
As our legs faltered under the emotional and physical strain, chairs magically appeared. As our stomachs gurgled because we had forgotten to eat, sandwiches were procured from the staff kitchen. Water and juice appeared in our hands without having to ask for them. Intuitively, the nurses seemed plugged into our digestive tracts. They urged us to sleep when it was the last thing we could think of. As we did not want to leave the hospital, they found a room nearby for us to spend the night, and supplied linens, doing their best to make it as comfortable as possible.
As our hands shook holding the hand of our loved one in ours, nurses’ hands steadied them with theirs. As we started to break down, nurses’ hugs steadied us. Hugs with people we had never met until that day seemed completely normal. We were all in a family of people dealing with life’s most challenging situations and questions. Even the one nurse who had a more curt manner, warning us not to enter the ward unannounced, explained that she was only concerned that we may see a procedure on our loved one that we were not prepared for.
The decision to cease administration of the drugs that were keeping our loved one’s body alive was a medical decision; mercifully, we weren’t asked to make that call. That night, a nurse was there every second to watch all the displays and gauges to ensure there wasn’t any sign of distress or discomfort. Decades earlier, a set of disparate heart cells, each beating to their own rhythm, found each other and started to beat together, sustaining my loved one for all the decades since. There is no spiritual vaccination one can administer to confer immunity to watching those vital signs whittle themselves down to zero, to flatness. Each of us in the family were lost in the darkness, beating to a panicked drum. We found the power to uphold ourselves when we connected with the nurses.
When we think of jobs that require courage, police work, fire fighters, and ambulance paramedics come to mind — and rightly so. Just the same, nursing requires a daily measure of spiritual courage that is hard to quantify. Leaving the hospital, I asked myself: “Why would anyone be a nurse?” It couldn’t be for the money. It couldn’t be for the hours, nor could it be for the ease of work. Many people find a sense of purpose in their work and in dedicating themselves to a business or a vocation. It became clear to me that nurses are not simply dedicated to nursing; they are dedicated to all of us.
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Martin C. Winer is a freelance writer in Toronto. He enjoys writing articles about social action. More details can be found on his blog: www.martincwiner.com |
Sanofi Pasteur Senior Scientist Ernst Braendli has been involved in several firsts at the company. He was involved in the development of a purification system so advanced that it’s the first of its kind in the world. His professional accomplishments also include helping to protect the environment. But Ernst’s boundless energy and passion for innovation go far beyond the workplace.
 Ernst Braendli and his team continue to build the Eco Library at sanofi pasteur with books and videos for all employees to use. |
Ernst Braendli takes pride in what he does. “Creativity is fun” is his motto, and one that he tries to fulfil everyday! Having worked in Research and Development for nearly 15 years, Ernst has applied his skills in several projects at Canada’s premiere vaccine company, sanofi pasteur. One of the major projects he’s worked on includes the realization of the world’s first steam-sterilizable chromatography system. (Chromatography is a complex system used to purify substances. The equipment is integral in many types of manufacturing, including vaccine manufacturing.) “It was a great experience to be involved in this successful project from start to finish,” Ernst says with a smile. Innovative equipment like the newly approved chromatography system helps produce and develop new types of vaccines and increases the protection from more and more of the known infectious diseases. Ernst and his colleagues at sanofi pasteur in Toronto also recently acquired the first robotic system in the company, which is used for studying process improvements. According to Ernst, this equipment will speed up the work progress and save time. “The result is that new and much-needed vaccines will be available more rapidly to help save lives.” But being innovative as a scientist isn’t the only job Ernst sets out to do on a daily basis. |
In 2008, Ernst initiated an Eco Team at sanofi pasteur to help reduce the ecological footprint by applying the three R’s (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) in the building in which he works. Ernst, along with a group of volunteers, researches, plans, and executes environmental initiatives.
The Eco Team has collected baseline data on water, paper, and power consumption for their facility. They have eliminated bottled water by providing metal bottles and mugs, saved electricity by increasing the temperature in the building to 22 centigrade or higher last summer, and have recently labelled all their equipment with shutdown times.
Ernst’s eco-journey also keeps him active in his community. Once part of an environmental advisory group in Brampton where he fought for the ban of cosmetic pesticides, Ernst also ran as a candidate of the Green Party in provincial and federal elections. In addition, he attended monthly meetings by the Algonquin-Peel Public Liaison Committee to learn facts about the local waste incinerator in the context of community waste management.
However, his appreciation of our planet didn’t just kick into high gear over night.
“Growing up on a farm helped shape my mindset about the environment,” Ernst admits. “I was able to gain a better understanding of how nature is affected and what we must do to restore the lost balance.”
And as every day is another opportunity to make a difference, Ernst’s family is side-by-side with him, reaching for the same goal. Here are just some of the initiatives his family of four, now adults, have carried out in their own home:
- own one small car
- buy local food when possible
- composting
- dry clothes outside when weather permits
- replaced an old furnace with a high-efficiency unit
- replaced all light bulbs with compact fluorescent and LEDs
“We can achieve big goals with small steps,” Ernst says. “But everyone has to take that small step. That’s how the overall impact becomes substantial.”
If Ernst Braendli has anything to do with it, more and more people will be influenced to take the lead and use their creativity for the greater good.
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Lisa Cancian is a Communications Specialist at sanofi pasteur. She holds a Journalism Diploma and a Media Studies Honours Degree |
My life today is so blessed with happiness and love. I can actually say that I like myself! I believe in myself and I feel confident in the decisions that I make. Now, it wasn’t always this way. I used to give my power away to the people around me. I thought that by catering to others’ needs, I would be happy. The truth is that there was no one in my life that had a greater influence over me than I did. My big “Aha!” moment came when I finally realized that what I was saying to myself was having a huge impact on how I felt about myself. My negativity was destroying me.
I grew up in a home where little girls never got angry. I had to either be “nice” or be disliked. I was very critical of myself. As I was growing up, I felt misunderstood and angry. I attracted relationships where I felt helpless and hopeless. I was always playing the role of victim and martyr. I would give my time to others, thinking that one day a miracle would happen and they would suddenly treat me with love and respect. Instead I was miserable and unhappy.
After reading about affirmations, I decided to trade my negative thoughts for positive ones. I made a conscious decision to notice what I was saying to myself. Implementing this new behaviour took time, but it was well worth the effort. I started feeling good about myself instead of always feeling negative.
No matter what anyone told me, I found ways to think and talk positively all the time, especially when I caught myself thinking negative thoughts or saying negative things. Here are some ways that I used to help myself implement these new changes:
1. Reversing my negative thoughts. When I found myself thinking or talking negatively, I would reword, reverse, or rephrase the words from negative to positive right away. For example, if I found myself doing the “what if” scenario, I would turn it into “I am going to.”
2. Association with other positive people. By being around people who were positive, I had a much easier time changing my way of thinking and talking about myself.
3. Trusting myself. I started trusting that little voice inside of myself. I started to make decisions based on what I really wanted, instead of always listening to others. This caused me to believe in myself and increased my confidence.
4. Writing in a Gratitude Journal. Every day, I would write everything that I was grateful for. The more I wrote, the more things I found that I had to be grateful for.
5. Positive affirmations. Affirmations were easy to implement in my daily life. They acted like seeds in my cells and in my heart. The more I said them, the bigger they grew.
The more I increased the value I gave myself, the more respect I received. I was completely committed to helping myself. I was focused and it paid off enormously. I am so grateful today for my confidence and happiness. As my self esteem grew, my relationships got better, I slept better, and everything in my life became blessed with this newfound positive energy. And the best part of my transformational journey is the role model that I am able to be today for my five children!
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Fatima Omar Khamissa is a motivational speaker who helps women find their voices so they can live their truth. Her website is http://godandenergy.com |
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PHOTO LEFT: Laura enjoying winter and snowflakes The other day I was out with my three-and-a-half-year-old granddaughter Laura. We were having a very good time. During our outing, snow started falling. I always appreciate light, fluffy snow, finding it a beautiful scene. On this day my granddaughter gave me the most wonderful gift. She wanted to catch a snowflake on her hand. We attempted this, but of course the snowflake melted immediately. I was wearing a black jacket and I let the snowflakes land on my sleeve. This gave us the opportunity to study each flake. The flakes all had individual designs and it was a thrill to look at them in this way. I had forgotten just how magnificent a snowflake could be. I thanked Laura for giving me the best gift possible, a gift where not one penny was exchanged. It really made me appreciate my granddaughter, the extreme beauty of snowflakes, and the beauty of the world we live in.
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Reesa Winer is married with two sons and is now revelling in three granddaughters, Rachel, Lauren, and Laura |
My life has been impacted by Toronto healthcare professionals in the greatest way imaginable — twice! My mom has Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD), one of the most common life-threatening genetic diseases in the world. PKD predominantly affected her liver and kidneys, forcing her to undergo a liver transplant. Nearly 10 years to the day, she suffered a critical and persistent bile-duct infection, devastatingly causing her donated liver — which up until this point in time had never posed a problem over nearly 10 years — to fail. Talk about a bad case of déjà vu... We were back at square one: Mom needed another liver transplant — fast. It is with a warm heart and a huge smile that I can say Mom did in fact receive that second life-saving liver transplant, and is once again able to live life to the fullest! This is all thanks to another amazing donor and the many fantastic staff at Toronto General Hospital who cared for her (and us) during these most difficult times. It was at TGH that Mom underwent both successful surgeries, and both times every medical professional and TGH staff member treated her and our entire family with the utmost respect and sensitivity. I can't say enough good things about the TGH staff! Every nurse, doctor, nephrologist, transplant surgeon, physiotherapist, dietician and transplant coordinator we encountered (to name just a few pivotal roles in her recovery) did everything in their power to help ease Mom's pain during the many weeks she spent bouncing between the Transplant floor, Intensive Care Unit, and the ACU prior to surgery. Never have I seen people move faster or multitask better than those I met in the medical healthcare community! Their dedication to countless patients and families day in and day out count as some of the most amazing things I've ever seen, and directly attributed to my mom's recovery. In a society where good healthcare is expected — which it should be — it's still important for us to stop and pay respect to the lifesavers out there! The whole is greater than the sum of its parts — and this is most certainly true at TGH. It takes hundreds of people to keep that place functioning, all of them working together for the betterment of those they serve — the patients! I consider it a blessing to have personally seen such commitment, selflessness, and compassion from everyone at Toronto General Hospital. From the bottom of my heart, I thank them for saving my mom's life. Twice. |
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Jeff Robertson is Executive Director of PKD Foundation of Canada and was featured in the March 2010 issue of Good News Toronto: http://www.goodnewstoronto.ca/pdf/March2010.pdf |
Mel Thompson dipped his wheels into the Atlantic Ocean a year and a half ago, marking the end of The Ride for Mental Health, only to realize that it was just the beginning.
PHOTO LEFT: Lindsay and Mel Thompson during their Ride for Mental Health across Canada One in five Canadians will experience a mental illness in their lifetime. The remaining four will have a family member, friend, or colleague who will. Yet it remains one of the least talked-about diseases. It’s the stigma attached to the disease that keeps people from openly discussing their illness and even seeking help. And stigma is the reason their family members carry this heavy secret through daily life. With this in mind, Mel Thompson cycled from Vancouver to St. John’s, aiming to bring forward the issues of mental illness, debunk the myths and misconceptions, and get people to share their stories. His inspiration? “Lindsay,” he says. Lindsay, his eldest of four children, was 17 years old when she was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder. “Everything changed,” she says. “I went from having friends, going to school, doing homework, to having no friends, not really going to school, [and] being in the hospital.” The realities of the disorder, characterized by the shifts from mania to depression associated with bipolar disorder and the presence of hallucinations, delusions, and paranoia associated with schizophrenia, overwhelmed the family. Lindsay struggled to come to terms with her illness and cope with the regimen of medications and their side effects. Her parents struggled through hospitalizations and family crises, devastated as they watched their daughter’s dreams slip away.
For years they did this — in silence. “We hadn’t really talked about our family situation and mental illness with others,” Mel says. Until the ride. PHOTO RIGHT: Lindsay and Mel Thompson on the road Mel, then 60 years old, was looking to participate in a Tour du Canada ride. But as the family discussed how to turn their struggle into something positive, plans changed. “We decided we’re going to do [the ride] as a family … for mental health,” Mel says. On their 100-day journey, the family raised awareness, fought stigma, and raised $225,000 to support mental health programs across Canada. Carol, Mel’s wife, drove the support vehicle and Lindsay rode sections of the route whenever possible. Strangers often followed them. “They would invariably want to tell their story,” says Carol, many of them sharing their story for the first time. Sixteen awareness events were held across the country. And even though Lindsay’s medication wasn’t alleviating her symptoms, she told her story at each one. “It was inspiring, and very courageous,” Mel says. “I wanted to represent everybody who had a mental illness,” Lindsay says. “I wanted to stand up there and show people.” Since the ride, Lindsay has found medication that works well for her. She has published articles telling her story and speaks to groups of people being trained to work with mental illnesses patients. “The ride was pretty pivotal for me,” she says. “Being out there and hearing other people’s stories and […] having the time to reflect on my own past and my own experiences.” Since the ride they’ve helped organize The Ride for Mental Health in Vancouver, Play Ball for Mental Health in St. John’s, The Xerox Charity Golf Tournament in Toronto, and The SENSational Ride for Mental Health in partnership with the Ottawa Senators. The ride may be over, but for Lindsay’s family it was the beginning — a coming-out, where by sharing their experience, they hope to encourage others to do the same. “Our hope is that we can help people gain a higher level of understanding and acceptance of mental illness,” Carol wrote in a Thrive in Life article. “There is no cure for mental illness. However, there is hope and recovery,” Lindsay writes in the same article. “Everybody deserves a place where they can function within society and feel good about themselves and their contribution to those around them.” For more information or to donate visit www.therideformentalhealth.org. |
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Sophie Tolias is a Toronto-based freelance writer who is passionate about telling people's stories. You can contact her at sophie.tolias@gmail.com. |
