Bringing awareness lesser-known illnesses and ailments

This week on Health Matters, Tarah Schwartz speaks with Daniel Johnson from the Sir Wilfrid Laurier school board about Raise Craze and the impact of Pink in the City. Physiotherapist Lesley Singer debunks some common misconceptions about physiotherapy and how it can help with more than injury recovery. Dr. Wassim Kassouf details what you need to know about bladder cancer, the fifth most common cancer impacting Canadians. And Susan Avon describes the Doggone Foundation mission to support artistic, medical and educational projects. 

Cette semaine à Questions de santé, Tarah Schwartz discute du défi têtes rasées Raise Craze et de l’impact de Pink in the City avec Daniel Johnson de la commission scolaire Sir-Wilfrid-Laurier. La physiothérapeute Lesley Singer réfute certaines idées fausses au sujet de la physiothérapie et explique qu’elle est bénéfique non seulement pour récupérer de blessures. Le Dr Wassim Kassouf présente ce que vous devez savoir au sujet du cancer de la vessie, le cinquième cancer le plus courant au Canada. Et Susan Avon décrit la mission de la Fondation Doggone, qui est d’appuyer des projets artistiques, médicaux et éducatifs. 

Transcript

Tarah Schwartz  00:00
Hello there. Thank you for joining us. I'm Tarah Schwartz and this is Health Matters on CJAD 800. On today's show, a physiotherapist who has lived with chronic pain is giving back to help others living with similar pain. And later in the show, May is Bladder Cancer Awareness Month. It is the fifth most common cancer in Canada. An expert shares the signs and symptoms of bladder cancer that you should know. But first, we have spoken on the show before about the incredible impact of Pink in the City. The organization has raised hundreds of 1000s of dollars for the MUHC Foundation in support of breast cancer patients. This spring, Pink in the City partnered with the Sir Wilfrid Laurier school board and dozens of students are cutting their hair or shaving their heads and fundraising in support of metastatic breast cancer research. Daniel Johnson is the Spiritual Care and Guidance and Community Involvement Animator at the Sir Wilfrid Laurier school board, he is also a Pink in the City volunteer. Thank you so much for joining us, Daniel.

Daniel Johnson  01:06
Hi, Tarah, thank you so much for having me.

Tarah Schwartz  01:09
First of all, I love your title- Spiritual Care and Guidance and Community Involvement animator. I love it. Tell us about that role and what you do.

Daniel Johnson  01:19
Well, I love my job, I get to go into all of our schools, and try to transform the learning environment with the students. And we do it a lot through leadership development. From elementary all the way up to secondary school, we try to provide the tools for students to take what they're learning in the classroom, and use it right now to make a difference in the world around them. We do everything from Bully Prevention to what we're doing today, which is shaving heads raising awareness and raising money for breast cancer.

Tarah Schwartz  01:50
Incredible. And when did you first start volunteering with Pink in the City?

Daniel Johnson  01:54
Oh, when I met Lawrence. Lawrence started this 17 years ago when he was in grade six. I met him when he was in high school and he introduced me to the idea of it. We started incorporating it into our leadership events. So we had Hockey Day with soldiers come from across the country to play with us. And we did Pink in the City stuff at the same time. He shaved his head while he was going to the school I was working in and it just kind of grew from there. And I kept working with them and in incorporating it within our leadership programs.

Tarah Schwartz  02:25
Now I'm curious about how high school students are embracing this idea of either cutting or shaving their head because it's the teenage years. They're precarious years, and a lot of it is often based around how you look and what you're projecting to others. So how are they embracing this idea of shaving their heads or cutting their hair?

Daniel Johnson  02:45
It's remarkable. And it's all grades, from junior high to kids that are graduating and you're right. The image that you're projecting is part of that. What seems to happen is there is a joy. And that same desire Lawrence talked about when he started Pink in the City is they see a need. And they take ownership and responsibility as a stakeholder to do something about that need. And most of us have been touched by cancer. Most of us have had somebody that has been affected or died. In my own life, I have. So they take those stories; they take that unfortunate history, and they use it as an opportunity. We've had girls shave their heads this year and boys and like I said graduating students who are wearing this to their ceremony. It's been amazing to see the communities rally around them.

Tarah Schwartz  03:38
That's incredible. It's very inspiring to hear you talk and also inspiring to hear that young people today are taking ownership of this kind of important cause. Now how many students have participated so far, Daniel?

Daniel Johnson  03:53
This year, 25 students. The youngest is grade one, all the way up to like I said grade 11. We've had two staff members and one parent. So there's shaves and cuts but most are shaves.

Tarah Schwartz  04:07
We are speaking with Daniel Johnson. He is the Spiritual Care and Guidance and Community Involvement Animator at Sir Wilfrid Laurier school board. Sir Wilfrid Laurier has partnered with Pink in the City. Children, kids, teens, whatever you want to call them, they are shaving their heads in support of breast cancer. Now, Daniel, what is this been like for you personally to watch evolve? You said that you first came in contact with this, 17 years ago when Lawrence started it. How has it been to see it evolve?

Daniel Johnson  04:37
There's two parts to it. One part is the personal part. My mom died from breast cancer and that's the part that I feel like is her legacy. My wounds with all of that being put into place to help somebody; that's one part. And then there's the professional part. Helping students be successful at school, get your high school diploma, get your leaving certificate, get whatever you can. Be as successful as possible. But if you don't know how to use it, if you don't know how to put those skills that you're learning in the classroom, into active motion to create the best opportunity for you; then what's the point? So a lot of my energy in my work is overlapping, all those things, be transformative. Watching this unfold, watching students rise to the challenge. And it's not just about the students getting their hair cut or shaved. It's about everybody around them, enabling them to do that. All the kids you don't see; it's an honor to watch. I feel like it's a privilege, because all I do is plant seeds. And everything grows from the work of the students and the teachers and the staff. It's a real privilege.

Tarah Schwartz  06:00
Wow, that's so beautiful, Daniel. I'm really, really sorry about your mom. Clearly, that would have an impact on anybody. And the way you're using it is very inspiring. Thank you for sharing that. I'm wondering about has something surprised you in throughout this whole journey? Have you been like, well, I didn't realize this? Is there a moment like that or something that you can share with us?

Daniel Johnson  06:26
It's hard to find just one. For this year, with this Raise Craze. I am astounded at the number of students who've rose to the challenge. Seven schools, 25 students is huge. I've never seen that before. I think that's the biggest surprise. I'm surprised at just how powerful this has been this year.

Tarah Schwartz  06:53
Now Pink in the City raises money for breast cancer research. So if you'd like to see how some of these teens are taking ownership of this, just head to the MUHCFoundation.com website. You can donate. You can support them. So Daniel, do you have an overarching goal for this? Are you going to keep this up? Is this something that you're going to do this year and maybe move on to a different project next year? Like how are you seeing things evolving or moving forward?

Daniel Johnson  07:17
When we do student leadership, we're pretty serious about it. The students lead and we follow and we give them the tools to do it. So the students have said they want to keep doing it. Because there's a team of student leaders who aren't in the schools that are kind of overseeing all of this and putting it together. The schools have said that they want to continue to do it as an annual thing in their schools. So my job is to just enable that. If people want to keep going, we keep going. I will personally keep going. But I believe the momentum is there, the thirst is there, and the way Pink in the City and MUHC Foundation have been able to work together. I mean, a lot of these Pink champions are going on a tour of the breast cancer clinic with Dr. Meterissian to see diagnosis to operation to everything. And that's going to change everything for these kids who maybe are getting excited about entering the field of medicine. It's not just about the money too; we've reached over 5000 students in our school board with messages of hope, and telling them what's happening in their community and how they can be involved. And that's powerful too, just as much as the money being raised.

Tarah Schwartz  08:24
As you're speaking, Daniel, something sort of popped into my mind this idea that how teens often communicate is through social media these days. So this really gives them an opportunity to communicate and to share something on a whole different level than what they might be normally communicating with each other at this time in their lives. Is that resonating at all with you?

Daniel Johnson  08:42
Absolutely. It challenges their identity from before they even thought about shaving their heads, to shaving their heads. It's something that they have to see and it's something that they have to be the face of in their world. And we are challenging them to use these tools. The day of posters up in your schools over. Social media is how we get messages out and we rally people. And we're trying to teach them that they have the power to do that. Not just for whatever cultural thing is happening at the moment or things that are frivolous, but things that are really important. And for them to see the effect that they have just by sending one message or taking one stand, we hope becomes a cascading effect. A ripple effect that will transform how to interact with their community and grow into adults.

Tarah Schwartz  09:33
I love that. Daniel Johnson is the Spiritual Care and Guidance and Community Involvement Animator at Sir Wilfrid Laurier school board. He is also a Pink in the city volunteer. We are talking about all the students who are either shaving or cutting their hair for Pink in the City and breast cancer research. Head to MUHCFoundation.com if you want to see more about it and support them. Daniel, it has been an absolute pleasure speaking with you today. Thank you so much for making the time. Congratulations for all that you do.

Daniel Johnson  09:59
Well thank you so much, Tarah. I really, really appreciate you being a part of this. So thank you.

Tarah Schwartz  10:03
Thank you. Coming up on Health Matters, a physiotherapist who lives with chronic pain is dedicated to helping patients live more comfortably. I'm Tarah Schwartz. Welcome back to Health Matters on CJAD 800. May is Physiotherapy month and it is a good time to bring awareness to the incredible impact that physiotherapy can have on your health and well-being. McGill University is known for SPOT; the School of Physical and Occupational Therapy. And there are many PTs and OTs that work with patients at the MUHC. Lesley Singer is a physical therapist, educator and patient partner in research. Lesley, thank you so much for being with us today.

Lesley Singer  10:45
Thank you for having me.

Tarah Schwartz  10:47
Lesley, tell us a little bit about your history as a physiotherapist.

Lesley Singer  10:52
I went back to school as an adult learner and became a physiotherapist later in life. I've been a physiotherapist for 23 years.

Tarah Schwartz  11:04
And why did you decide to go back to school and start that career?

Lesley Singer  11:08
Well, that was a sad story I won't get into. But an event in my life led me to become very disillusioned with life. And my doctor suggested I go back to school. And at that time, my kids were very active in sports. And so I thought, let's look into physiotherapy and voila.

Tarah Schwartz  11:32
So it came from something really moving in your life and has it been rewarding? Is it what you needed and what you were looking for at that time?

Lesley Singer  11:41
Yes, I wanted to work in health care. I knew because it was a health care event in my life. I thought that I would work in the exact place that this event happened. But that wasn't the case. And it led me to physiotherapy and it's been very rewarding. I wish I had gone into it as a youth in cegep and in university.

Tarah Schwartz  12:08
Right now, I think a lot of people understand in general terms, what a physiotherapist or an occupational therapist is. But if you've never been to one; and I'll admit I've actually never been to a physical or occupational therapist. So help us understand the kind of help or healing that they provide.

Lesley Singer  12:27
A physiotherapist is he's there to guide you as a health care professional to being active once again, participating in life and overcoming the barriers that would prevent you from doing that. And so they often work with an occupational therapist who works on more on activities of daily living and helping you overcome the barriers to have a meaningful life. Be that work or school or volunteering.

Tarah Schwartz  13:02
Okay, I'm sort of thinking about the physical manipulation part. Because when I think of physiotherapist, I think I'm going to go see someone and let's say I hurt my shoulder or I hurt my leg. They're going to help rehabilitate me is that part of it as well. Talk to that a little bit.

Lesley Singer  13:20
It is part of it. We have acute injuries and we have chronic injuries. So acute injuries would be more where the physiotherapist going to work on you manually, use machines to reveal some of the swelling and that type of thing. But it's a misconception there that's all physiotherapists do. They work with all kinds of diseases and all kinds of people.

Tarah Schwartz  13:45
I fell right into the misconception category, because when I think physical therapist, that's what I think. Help us understand again, what is beyond that. Can you be a little bit more specific in terms of the help that they can provide? Because now I'm really interested in what that is knowing that I was also holding these misconceptions about what it is.

Lesley Singer  14:04
Let's say for example, in an acute injury. An athlete; for instance, hurts himself. He's not able to play in the sport It becomes a problem. And then he has problems at home, maybe because his parents might want him to go back and just work through the pain, certainly develop psychological problems, social problems of not being included. A physiotherapist will work with those things in order to get that asked me back to the sport. So it's not just the physical barriers, but the psychological and the social barriers as well; in order to get back to an activity. We have a very, very well-rounded education to be able to do that.

Tarah Schwartz  14:53
No kidding. Wow. May as physiotherapy month and I'm so happy we're having this conversation. Lesley singer is a physical therapist, and she's had educating me and potentially you about all the incredible work that physiotherapist can do. Now Lesley, I know that you were a patient at the Allen Edwards pain clinic, can you take us into what it's like to live with chronic pain?

Lesley Singer  15:15
Living with chronic pain is an individual experience. So I can speak to it from my part. It's very, very isolating. It's very, very traumatic. It's very lonely. For me, I was in the middle of the ocean, and nobody could find me, or hear me or help me. And so you become very isolated. Pain becomes you, so you lose your identity. And then, you're not able to function in what you want to do or what you have done until you get help to guide you.

Tarah Schwartz  15:54
Wow, that's so heartbreaking. And did you find that help? Did you get that help, Lesley?

Lesley Singer  16:00
I was very fortunate because my doctor referred me early. I had a very, very persistent pain that would not respond to medication. And so she referred me early to the Allen Edwards Pain Center. I must say I got in with for within four months, and it helped me tremendously. They were interdisciplinary. I saw the psychologist; I saw the doctor. I have facial pain, so I didn't see a physio at that time. And I was a physio as well. So we integrated that. And they were they were my lifesavers.

Tarah Schwartz  16:44
Yeah, I believe it, I believe it. And how did that impact your work as a physical therapist, Lesley?

Lesley Singer  16:52
I actually went back to school, got my master's degree and looked into the research. I started to wonder why people came to me with persistent back pain. And they came again and again, and they didn't get better. And I had chronic pain and what was this chronic pain. We didn't learn enough about it in school. And so I needed to learn more. I needed to understand it. And so I did my degree that way, and it has impacted my career tremendously since then.

Tarah Schwartz  17:26
May is physiotherapy month, and we're speaking with physical therapist, Lesley Singer. Now considering not just your education, your work experience, but your personal experience- what message would you have for listeners who are living with pain or chronic pain, but are not quite sure what to do about it, or how to get help for it?

Lesley Singer  17:48
I would suggest, first of all, that you get educated in some way, either through a known website or through a health care professional, through a friend who understand what chronic pain is. It's a disease by itself. So you have a chronic disease. And so once you understand that, perhaps you'll stop searching for that answer, that magic bullet that doesn't exist. Then be able to go to a health care professional, and explain your story. Have someone who really listens to your story, and you have that alliance with them.

Tarah Schwartz  18:30
And why is it important in your opinion, considering everything we've talked about in this last 10 minutes to acknowledge physiotherapy month?

Lesley Singer  18:41
I think because exactly what you had said. Physiotherapists are thought of as the people who fix athletes. I think we need to have a better knowledge within the community, within the population to understand what physiotherapist do. And you don't need a doctor's referral to go there. So I think that we need to understand that so we can make use of physiotherapy, which will decrease the burden on doctors.

Tarah Schwartz  19:14
And ultimately give patients a better quality of life, which I guess is the ultimate goal for every health care provider.

Lesley Singer  19:22
Exactly.

Tarah Schwartz  19:24
Lesley, I want to thank you so much for coming on the show. You have absolutely educated me and no doubt people who are listening. Thank you for the work that you do. And thanks for taking the time to be with us today.

Lesley Singer  19:34
Thank you so much for having me.

Tarah Schwartz  19:37
Next up on Health Matters, bladder cancer is the fifth most common cancer in Canada. What are some warning signs to pay attention to? I'm Tarah Schwartz and this is Health Matters. Bladder cancer is the 10th most common cause of cancer deaths worldwide. It is also the fifth most common cancer in Canada. Dr. Wassim Kassouf is a surgeon at the MUHC and a senior scientist at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre. He is leading a team that is studying a new approach to help treatment of bladder cancer. Dr. Kassouf, always a pleasure, thank you so much for joining us today.

Dr. Wassim Kassouf  20:13
Good morning, Tarah.

Tarah Schwartz  20:15
What are some of the risk factors for bladder cancer? Let's jump right in.

Dr. Wassim Kassouf  20:21
So I think the most common risk factor for bladder cancer is the one that's shared with lungs so smoking. Smoking tends to be the strongest risk factor, a lot of the exposures and the carcinogens of smoke comes and stays in the bladder. And over time, it causes and predisposes people to develop bladder cancer. Now, there are other risk factors, and I will say to a much, much smaller degree. Certain occupational exposures, people who work in the leather industry, paint industry, exposure to aniline dyes tends to also be associated with an increased risk of bladder cancer. But that's to a much lesser degree.

Tarah Schwartz  21:06
So if we're talking about smokers, and we're talking about people who have occupational hazards like that. But is there another group is it tend to affect women more than men? Is it a certain age group? Are their genetic predispositions? Talk to us a little bit about that.

Dr. Wassim Kassouf  21:19
Yeah, so that's interesting. It tends to affect much more men than women. The ratio right now is roughly around four to one. Initially, we thought it's primarily because men tend to smoke much more frequently in the past that woman. But it's more to it than that. I think the smoking by itself doesn't explain the discrepancy. There is now a series going into hormonal changes that may also predispose males for bladder cancer, over and beyond the risk factors of smoking.

Tarah Schwartz  21:53
We are speaking with Dr. Wassim Kassouf; we're talking about bladder cancer, which is the 10th most common cause of cancer deaths worldwide. That's a pretty surprising number. Why do you think bladder cancer is so far up there, Dr. Kassouf, in terms of most common cancer deaths?

Dr. Wassim Kassouf  22:09
Bladder cancer, in general, I would say three-quarters of the bladder cancer are the non-life threatening part. But there is 25% of bladder cancer that patients get diagnosed with tends to be life-threatening, which means that upon diagnosis is already deep in the wall of the bladder. And that tends to have a high risk of metastasis. In part, an early detection would help us weigh these numbers, towards, detecting them at an earlier stage, which brings into the fact that this month is a bladder cancer awareness month and raising that issue a bit more among the public.

Tarah Schwartz  22:58
It's always easier to get an early diagnosis when there are signs and symptoms. We've talked a lot about ovarian cancer on the show where you get no signs or symptoms until you're in stage three or four, when it's often too late. Is bladder cancer, something that you can catch early because there are signs and symptoms that people can take note of?

Dr. Wassim Kassouf  23:17
Yes, you could absolutely. There are signs and symptoms that people can take note of. And if you seek your doctor early, you have a higher chance of detecting it at an earlier stage. And I think the most common symptom is actually blood in the urine. If you have blood in the urine, you should always seek medical attention. Now doesn't mean you have bladder cancer, but it puts you at a higher risk of potentially harboring this in your bladder. And one thing that can happen is you may have blood in the urine once and you may not get it again until a year later. So just because you got it and went away, doesn't mean you shouldn't seek medical attention just to make sure that you don't have something harboring inside your bladder.

Tarah Schwartz  24:03
I feel like that is something that I want to repeat again, in case anybody was listening. As Dr. Kassouf said, you may see blood in your urine once and then it goes away. Don't ignore it. That's what you're saying, Dr. Kassouf? Don't ignore it, get attention even if you've only seen it once.

Dr. Wassim Kassouf  24:19
Correct. Yeah.

Tarah Schwartz  24:21
Now do you think most people are aware of their risk for developing bladder cancer? Because it is not a cancer we hear a lot about; despite that it is the fifth most common cancer in Canada.

Dr. Wassim Kassouf  24:32
You're right. The only national organization that has been championing this and raising public awareness of diseases Bladder Cancer Canada. It's done a lot of efforts in that but there's still an awareness issue that we need to work on. If you, for example, ask people- what's bladder cancer? Many people will say, well, bladder cancer is gallbladder. They allude to the gallbladder more than a urine bladder. If you ask, actually women- what's bladder cancer? It's the same thing, they also allude often to gallbladder cancer and not urine bladder cancer. What's interesting is that the public awareness issue is important because, believe it or not, right now, bladder cancer kills more women than cervical cancer. But when you ask about cervical cancer- men or women, everyone has heard of cervical cancer, and very few has heard of bladder cancer.

Tarah Schwartz  25:38
You're absolutely right.

Dr. Wassim Kassouf  25:39
We need to do more in raising that awareness out of there.

Tarah Schwartz  25:43
Now that I've heard you talk about it, I want to be a little bit more informed. So when you talk about bladder cancer, what exactly are you referring to?

Dr. Wassim Kassouf  25:52
We're referring to urinary bladder cancer, so that's where the urine is stored in the bladder. Now there is another bladder another thing that we call gallbladder. The gallbladder is something completely different. It has nothing to do with a urine bladder. It's actually an organ that often is removed because it forms stones. So that's something completely different than urinary bladder cancer.

Tarah Schwartz  26:17
And if you do as you counsel, Dr. Kassouf. If you notice something's wrong, you go see a doctor. If you have early detection or the cure rates high? Do we have strong cure rates for an early detection?

Dr. Wassim Kassouf  26:32
Yes, if you detect the cancer before the cancer invades into the muscle of the bladder. Then there are cures are very high, more than 80%-90% cure rate. But once the cancer goes deep in the muscle of the bladder, then the cure rates fall down to around 50%.

Tarah Schwartz  26:52
I see. We are talking about bladder cancer. Our guest today is Dr. Wassim Kassouf is a surgeon at the MUHC and a senior scientist at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center. I know, Dr. Kassouf, you are conducting some research projects and studies about bladder cancer. Can you tell us a little bit about that?

Dr. Wassim Kassouf  27:13
Yeah, so the bladder cancer is dear to my heart. We have we have a research team here, dedicated to improving the treatment efficacy. My team mostly focuses on the life-threatening bladder cancer, when the disease is actually into the muscle. And we're trying to find ways to one improve cure rate by harnessing the immune system to fight against it. But another approach also we're trying to improve what they call organ preservation treatments for bladder cancer. So the typical standard option has been for many years removing the entire bladder, when the cancer goes in the muscle. As you can imagine, there's a big quality of life changes when you do that. So we're trying to find ways that we can treat the cancer without removing the entire organ.

Tarah Schwartz  28:09
And how close is that kind of research to becoming a reality?

Dr. Wassim Kassouf  28:14
There are ways right now that we preserve the bladder. It is actually a reality. But we'll try to improve upon that reality. There's ways to preserve the bladder, with chemotherapy and radiation therapy. But the key right now is trying to enhance this to make the success rate higher, but also decrease the side effects and toxicity of treatment.

Tarah Schwartz  28:37
Obviously, this kind of research is something that you hold dear to your heart. Is it moving quickly enough for you? Do you see advancements happening fast enough, Dr. Kassouf?

Dr. Wassim Kassouf  28:46
Well, it's been it's been kind of slow for many years. But over the last five years, there has been a steady increase in research. A steady increase in available new drugs out there; particularly in the late stage of bladder cancer. And now what we're trying to do is trying to move these drugs to the earlier stage to see if we can even optimize more and more on cure. So yeah, I think over the next few five years, I foresee a lot of changes in the treatment of bladder cancer.

Tarah Schwartz  29:20
That is wonderful. Thank you so much, Dr. Wassim Kassouf for being here, a surgeon at the MUHC. We were talking about the importance of bladder cancer awareness. Thank you for your time today. It's always a pleasure to speak to you.

Dr. Wassim Kassouf  29:30
It's a pleasure. Have a good day, Tarah.

Tarah Schwartz  29:32
You too, Dr. Kassouf. Coming up on Health Matters, the MUHC Foundation has been able to change so many lives thanks to the support of the Doggone Foundation. Learn more about their generosity next. I'm Tarah Schwartz. You're listening to Health Matters. It is inspiring to know that there are several foundations in Quebec and in Canada that believe in the MUHC Foundation's mission to change the course of lives and medicine. One of the exceptional foundations that has generously supported our Big Dreams for a number of years is the Doggone Foundation. Susan Avon is the Director and Secretary of the Doggone Foundation and she joins us now. Hello, Susan. Thank you for being with us.

Susan Avon  30:11
Hello, Tarah. I'm happy to be here.

Tarah Schwartz  30:14
For our listeners who may not know. I'm guessing there's quite a few because Doggone is very humble and it doesn't announce itself everywhere. Tell us a little bit about what the Doggone Foundation is and what it does.

Susan Avon  30:27
Okay, the Doggone Foundation was created by Elspeth McConnell, and who is its primary sole donor. Its mission at the outset. It was created in 2012. Its mission was to fund artistic, medical and educational projects.

Tarah Schwartz  30:45
Now, tell us about Elspeth McConnell. Who is this woman that started the Doggone Foundation?

Susan Avon  30:51
Elspeth was the widow of John Griffith McConnell, of the McConnell family the philanthropic McConnell family in Montreal. She was widowed quite young and had become rather reclusive. But in the later years, wanted to create a foundation to carry forward her wishes of philanthropy of her own.

Tarah Schwartz  31:16
Tell us a little bit more about how long the Doggone Foundation has been around. When did when is it sort of official beginning?

Susan Avon  31:25
It was created in 2012. It received as charity status- being technical here- in 2013. As I said, its purpose its pillars to primarily help support research and clinical care on behalf of McGill University Health Center and its teaching hospitals and their professional. Elspeth McConnell was going through a transition in her life when it was created. She was moving from her home into a senior's residence, and she had to give up her pets. And I know people always ask where the name Doggone came from. And it has to do with the fact that her dogs were gone. They were placed in veterinary clinic. I don't want you to think they were euthanized on the spot. Not at all. But it was a despondent time, a bleak time in her life. And when we're looking for a name for the foundation, her answer was basically- well, the dogs are gone. You might as well call it the Doggone Foundation, which was brilliant, because it kept her under the radar.

Tarah Schwartz  32:33
Well, this is what I was saying it does feel like Doggone is under the radar. And I think that is the most heartbreaking and most beautiful name of something I've heard like, it's so touching.

Susan Avon  32:45
She was very proud of it.

Tarah Schwartz  32:47
Yeah, it really is beautiful. Now, why was it important for Elspeth McConnell and the Doggone Foundation as part of its mission as one of its pillars to support cutting edge research in health care?

Susan Avon  33:01
At the time that the Foundation was created, the best care for life campaign was in its final thrust to raise the funds to build the MUHC. And Elspeth played a significant role in in investing in the hospital, and its research. And here we were with a brand new building that cared for children, adults, and had its research institute right there. Elspeth continued that investment in the research.

Tarah Schwartz  33:38
Now, you mentioned that the Doggone Foundation started in 2012. So we're talking about an eleven year history. And it's been a significant supporter, as you mentioned, of the MUHC. Critical- one might argue- a critical supporter. How special is the partnership and how has it grown?

Susan Avon  33:56
It's always been very special. The Executive Director of the Doggone Foundation is Paul Marchand who basically claims the Royal Victoria Hospital saved his life. And Elspeth was born there and there's always been a link to it. The relationship with the foundation has been very personal, and very rewarding.

Tarah Schwartz  34:27
We are speaking with Susan Avon who is the Director and Secretary of the Doggone Foundation. The Doggone Foundation funds numerous medical projects cutting-edge research in health care. Now, do you have some favorite projects that Doggone has or is currently supporting, Susan?

Susan Avon  34:45
I do have favorite projects. There are so many. One at the MUHC is part of the MI4 project. The McGill Interdisciplinary Initiative in Infection and Immunity. One of the very first projects that was awarded grant money when the MI4 project began was research done on the antimicrobial qualities of dragonflies and how they're bacteria destroying. And the research was to replicate this phenomenon on the surfaces of medical implants to prevent infection post-surgery in the body. It would have tickled Elspeth's fancy because she always believed that dragonflies were magical.

Tarah Schwartz  35:50
Who doesn't, right Susan? Who doesn't believe that they're magical? I love that project, too. It's fascinating that some of the amazing research that's being done at the Research Institute right now, in terms of tackling challenges, like antimicrobial resistance, meaning what will happen when those antibiotics don't work anymore. I'm wondering about your connection to the Doggone Foundation, Susan. How did you get involved with it? Because clearly, it's a mission for you as well.

Susan Avon  36:15
Well, it did become a mission. I worked with Paul Marchand who was Elspeth's lawyer. I worked in his law firm as a paralegal and got on board when Elspeth needed help moving out of her home, and establishing the foundation and its goals and carrying them forward. And that's how the relationship began until her death in 2017. I was very involved with her personally, which was rewarding in itself and enriching.

Tarah Schwartz  36:47
She has left behind quite an extraordinary legacy, hasn't she?

Susan Avon  36:51
She absolutely has. And I don't think in her wildest dreams, she would have realized that she would be leaving this legacy behind.

Tarah Schwartz  37:00
Now philanthropy is clearly it was clearly important for her. It's clearly important for the foundation that can as it continues. What are your views in general on philanthropy, whether it's somebody like Elspeth McConnell who can help build a hospital or somebody who can give $20 out of their wallet a month for something? Tell us about how you feel about that?

Susan Avon  37:20
I think when people think of philanthropy, they think of it with a capital P. They think of the institutions who can give hundreds of $1,000 or millions of dollars to charities. But the core meaning of philanthropy is really a love for humankind. A kindness towards humankind. And, you mentioned a $20 donation or a multimillion dollar donation. Philanthropy at its core is giving forward. And if you can't reach into your pocket, you can volunteer, and that's such a big basic part of philanthropy. You They also rely on volunteering. There's so many different aspects to philanthropy.

Tarah Schwartz  38:13
I love that answer. I asked this question a lot. And I that's one of my favorite answers. So thank you so much, Susan. Avon. I want to thank you for being with us on the show today. And for the work you do. She is the director and Secretary of the Doggone Foundation, who fund some pretty extraordinary projects at the MUHC and the RI-MUHC. Thank you so much, Susan.

Susan Avon  38:30
Well, thank you. It's been a pleasure.

Tarah Schwartz  38:33
I'm Tarah Schwartz. Thank you for tuning in. And it is bittersweet that I announced that Health Matters is coming to a close on CJAD. We have had three amazing years and we are grateful for all of it. The good news is Health Matters will live on as a podcast with the MUHC Foundation. And you can learn all about that by signing up to our newsletter, which you can do at MUHCFoundation.com, or by following us on social media. Our final show is June 25. So I do hope you'll join us again next Sunday. Thank you so much for listening to Health Matters and stay healthy.