Posted on September 8, 2016 under Faces in the Crowd with no comments yet

 

“Every Canadian deserves equitable medical treatment and I am happy to have played a part in bringing quality cancer care to Nova Scotians.”

Meet Dr. Ron MacCormick.

Ron’s parents left Cape Breton during the war years, hoping to find greener pastures on the mainland. By his own admission, he wasn’t the best student in high school until he met with the school’s guidance counsellor at Dartmouth High. Sister Ann Smith recognized potential and encouraged Ron “to do the things you’re good at.” He gravitated towards math and the sciences. “Sister Smith was the most impactful person in my life at that time.”

In grade 12 he was a member of the Reach for the Top team, which competed for National honors.

Following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, he enrolled at St. F. X. in 1971 with the encouragement of Merchant Bauer. He loved X and was inspired by noted chemistry professor, David Bunbury.  After two years he headed off to Dalhousie to attend medical school. His medical journey next took him to Winnipeg to do two years of internal medicine and surgery. During this time he did a two month stint in Belize.

In 1979 he did a locum in Neil’s Harbor and worked with Ken Murray, a physician for whom he has great admiration.

In 1980 he returned to Dal, where he met Dr. Ormille Hayne. “Ormille had the most impact on me than any other doctor.” It was at this time that he decided to try medical oncology, a fledgling field in medicine at the time. Ron was one of the first recipients of a Terry Fox Fellowship and headed off to the Princess Margaret in Toronto to pursue his specialty.

He met his future wife, Rhoda, after a cruise on the Mediterranean. On the ship he met Rhoda’s sister, and when he got back to Canada he looked her up and ended up marrying Rhoda! He took a hiatus from his studies to go to Lesotho with Rhoda to work with WUSC. Their first child was born there, and after two years it was back to the Princess Margaret.

Dr. MacCormick continued his studies in Canada and beyond its borders.  One of his more interesting (and peculiar!) fellowships occurred in Annecy, France, where he was asked to come over and “think” for a month.

The MacCormicks returned to Nova Scotia and Ron became the first medical oncologist in the province. After 5 years the travel bug re-emerged and they spent three years in Saudi Arabia.  In 1994 Ron spearheaded the project that became the Cape Breton Cancer Centre, which now employs more than 100 people. For many years Rhonda has been the coordinator of volunteers for the internationally acclaimed Celtic Colours International Festival.

Dr. MacCormick started treating an ever-increasing number of cancer patients from Antigonish, and in 1997 he began travelling there one day a week. On a particularly stormy day in 1999, after his wife gently suggested that he shouldn’t be on the road, he geared up a tele- oncology call with the folks in Antigonish; one of the first of its kind.

Cancer continues to be a perplexing disease even though Ron suggests that the biggest killer of humans is old age.  “Cancer has become a part of our fabric. Cancer cells don`t die. “

Far from being disillusioned with his line of work, Ron says that, oddly enough, a cancer diagnosis often brings out the very best in people. “Once people get over the initial shock they are very resilient. They want to tell their life story. They concentrate on living instead of focusing on dying.”

He is well respected by his peers. “ Ron blends extreme competence with deeply caring compassion,” said someone familiar with his work with cancer patients.

Ron practices what he preaches when it comes to a healthy, active lifestyle. He is an avid biker and hiker and spends as much time as possible in a canoe. He gets out very early in the morning and tries to paddle every month of the year. This time alone gives him time to relax.

Ron has been recognized on several occasions for the work he has done, including receipt of the prestigious R.M. Taylor award for his role in developing cancer care in rural Canada.

When Ron comes to Antigonish he stays at the Victorian Inn, a short walk to St. Martha’s Hospital. Very often his room is the one that has been occupied over the years by former Prime Ministers and distinguished Canadians Pierre Trudeau, Brian Mulroney, Joe Clark and Paul Martin.  Dr. Ron MacCormick should feel right at home.

Posted on September 5, 2016 under Monday Morning Musings with one comment

Action at the Cape Breton Open

 

Haul out the sweaters… there`s a distinct nip in the air.

In a university town, the return of students is a big deal. The population of the town of Antigonish nearly doubles almost overnight bringing with it a totally different feel than when the students aren`t around. Add to this, the Eastern Nova Scotia Exhibition, otherwise known as the Fall Fair and Labor Day weekend, and you have lots of people and lots of activity. It is probably one of the busiest weekends of the year.

We share a neighborhood with many students. By and large they are lovely people and a courteous lot but when they return en masse, parties are bound to break out. I haven`t had an “all nighter” since the early 70`s but I listened to one on Friday… right in our back yard!

Now, on to something completely different.

I love to see people chasing their dreams.

I took a day trip up to Baddeck on Friday to watch a professional golf tournament. No, Rory, Ricky, Jordan and Jason weren`t there , but there were 160 or so young, athletic, ambitious individuals trying to make the grade. Talent wise,  they are every bit as capable as the guys and gals on the major tours but like every other walk of life, they have to “ pay their dues. ” These guys play on the Canadian Tour, hoping to get a spot of the Web.Com tour which is the developmental tour for the PGA. ( Apologies to non golfers but regular readers know that I opine on any subject that happens to come into my head! ).

I didn`t know any of the players so naturally I decided to follow the lead group.  It was highly entertaining, despite the fact that I was under dressed for the cool, dampish weather. ( Methinks that I have developed the start of the dreaded “man cold” ). I was quite taken with the young man from California who shot the course record on Thursday. He had a wonderful demeanor,  with not a trace of arrogance , which is common with many elite athletes.

Those of you who know me well, know that I am the shy, retiring type!  When the round finished, I decided to approach him to see if he would consider having lunch and doing an interview for Faces in the Crowd. My instincts were right , as he quickly agreed and we headed into Baddeck, along with his grandfather.

Getting to the pinnacle of any endeavour ( sports, business, politics ) is a grind and takes years of effort and infinite persistence. I listened with great interest to Ben`s journey thus far. I don`t want to spoil the upcoming FITC story but you golfers out there will be very interested to hear who his opponent was in the 2011 U.S. Amateur,  in the round of 16 match play.

I always keep a box of my books in the car and was able to give a signed, personally addressed copy to Ben and another for his grandparents.

I also interviewed a well respected medical oncologist last week for a FITC story. It was very interesting to talk to someone who deals with cancer every day. I think you will find his comments very enlightening. SPOILER ALERT: the biggest killer is not heart attacks or cancer. Anyone want to take a stab at the correct answer? The first correct answer ( according to the oncologist … not Wikipedia ) gets a Week45 hat… a collector’s item, for sure!

Have a great week.

Posted on September 1, 2016 under Faces in the Crowd with 3 comments

 

“My mother could do anything and fix anything. She taught us how to sew and we made our own clothes. It was just what people did back then.”

Meet Carolyn Hudson.

The family grew up in Sylvan Valley. With their property straddling the town and county, her school age years became a nomadic existence as she attended classes at the Parish Centre, Mount Saint Bernard, Morrison School, Antigonish High School and finally St. Andrew High School. She was always well dressed at school and was often complimented on her attire. Many of her classmates would later discover that Carolyn had made her own clothes.

Although encouraged by her teachers to become one of their own, she decided to follow in her mother’s footsteps and become a nurse. She attended St. Mike’s in Toronto where she received her RN designation in 1969. She also made some lifelong friends as she and fellow classmates get together every five years. It was also around this time, that Carolyn dabbled with quilting for the first time. “I gathered material from hither and yon and had no clue what I was doing. I just tried to figure things out by trial and error.”

Nursing jobs were plentiful back then and she received a position at St. Martha’s Hospital. She spent most of her career as an OR nurse. “I enjoyed working as part of a team. The work was very technical and demanding but it had an order to it.”

Besides her interest in quilting, she discovered another passion in her 20’s – Western horseback riding. For a number of years she competed at local horse shows and also at the Eastern Nova Scotia Exhibition, where she met her future husband, Alton.

Quilting fell out of vogue in the 70s and 80s. People could buy ready-made quilts off the shelf. It was an era of convenience. “Why make bread by hand when you can get a loaf at the grocery store?” seemed to be the mindset.

Later on, when authentic quilting made a comeback, Carolyn decided to get serious about her craft. “I wanted to learn how to hand-quilt properly so I was always looking at “How To” magazines in order to perfect my work. “Equipment and technological advances were important but there were still no shortcuts. “We learned by doing, and becoming good took time, precision and patience. I ripped out as much as I sewed!”

Despite claims that quilting is relaxing, Carolyn says that it is a double edged sword. “It can keep you sane or drive you crazy!”

Fourteen years ago the Highland Quilt Guild was formed, an opportunity for fellow quilters to get together on a regular basis. The group is very supportive of one another and they share ideas and encourage each other. It is also a social activity… a chance for old friends to meet and share the joys and sorrows of everyday living.

In 2010, Carolyn decided to take her work further afield and entered her quilts in a national juried show in Calgary. Lo and behold, she won first place in the “Original Traditional Bed Quilt” category. She continued to enter her works and has won many awards and accolades over the ensuing years. Carolyn is quick to point out that other members of the local guild are every bit as talented as she. “The only difference between me and my friends is that I decided years ago to enter competitions.”

At a recent World Quilt Tour in New Hampshire, Carolyn competed with top flight quilters from many countries. Her work was judged as the best Canadian quilt. You can view her winning entry #3501 here:

You can also see the works of the local Quilt Guild on display at the Eastern Nova Scotia Exhibition this week, or at their Bi-annual show at St. James Church on Sept. 23-24.

Despite her success with quilting she humbly suggests that other things matter more. “I want to be remembered as a good daughter, good mother, good wife, good sister and good nurse. I wasn’t perfect   at all of them but I tried my best.”

Carolyn has certainly reaped what she has sewn.