Dr. Rea Brown - McGill University student, professor & athlete, remarkable medical career and surgeon during the Montreal massacre
11/09/21 • 31 min
4 Listeners
Episode #29 - Dr. Rea Brown shares his story from the green bench of a career nothing short of remarkable, from growing up with a critically ill brother to finding himself in the world of medicine surrounded by pro athletes and on December 6, 1989, in Montreal saving the lives of several women after the École Polytechnique Tragedy (Montreal Massacre). He joins us from his home at The Village of Humber Heights in Etobicoke.
Erin Davis is joined by our guest co-host Doug Reed (Episode # 9) at The Village of Arbour Trails in Guelph while Lloyd takes the rest he needs.
Dr. Brown shares the story about his brother's illness after having pneumonia - learning about a new antibody that was coming available now that the war coming to an end - Penicillin was the drug spoken of which helped him within a week at the Montreal Western Hospital.
"My first successful surgery was on a cob of corn." -Dr. Rea Brown
His education in a one-room school shared stories that encouraged him to read. What is one book that you remember reading while growing up?
1954 - Dr. Brown was accepted into McGill University with the goals of getting a degree and playing football. Drafted by the Tiger-Cats in 1957, but didn't want to play professional football, and decided he wanted to be a doctor. 1958, joined the faculty of medicine students and continued to play football winning the 1960 Churchill Champions. Graduate in 1962 and applied to a training program for surgery and segued into sports medicine and many accolades and awards.
December 6, 1989 - the day of the massacre at École Polytechnique in Montreal, Dr. Rea Brown was present and available to support as the women came in for care. In 1991, the Parliament of Canada declared 6 December to be a National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women. It is also known as White Ribbon Day.
Doctor for the Montreal Alouettes and shares a couple of stories along with one he recalls with the quarterback, Turner Gill.
Erin Davis asks, 'who was your favourite patient?' Dr. Brown names John Beliveau (Montreal Canadiens from 1950 to 1971) as his favourite patient - hear why at the 24-minute mark
Advice to listeners to have hope: "I HOPE it is going to be better tomorrow." -Dr. Rea Brown
Dr. Brown reflects on funding a residents space on the 18th floor of the Montreal General Hospital called 'The Brown Room'
Subscribe, rate, and review our podcast on any network and share your thoughts on social media using the #ElderWisdom tag to help others find us.
----more----
The Green Bench is a symbol of elder wisdom. Physically or virtually, the bench invites us all to sit alongside a senior, share a conversation, or give and offer advice.
It challenges the stigma seniors face; the ageism still so prevalent in society. It reminds us of the wealth of wisdom our elders offer and in doing so, helps restore them to a place of reverence.
"The greatest untapped resource in Canada, if not the world, is the collective wisdom of our elders." -Ron Schlegel
This podcast is brought to you by Schlegel Villages, retirement & long-term care homes in Ontario, Canada.
#ElderWisdom | Stories from the Green Bench is produced by Memory Tree Productions
Learn more about our host, Erin Davis, at erindavis.com
Learn more about co-host, Lloyd Hetherington
Learn more about #ElderWisdom at elderwisdom.ca
Episode #29 - Dr. Rea Brown shares his story from the green bench of a career nothing short of remarkable, from growing up with a critically ill brother to finding himself in the world of medicine surrounded by pro athletes and on December 6, 1989, in Montreal saving the lives of several women after the École Polytechnique Tragedy (Montreal Massacre). He joins us from his home at The Village of Humber Heights in Etobicoke.
Erin Davis is joined by our guest co-host Doug Reed (Episode # 9) at The Village of Arbour Trails in Guelph while Lloyd takes the rest he needs.
Dr. Brown shares the story about his brother's illness after having pneumonia - learning about a new antibody that was coming available now that the war coming to an end - Penicillin was the drug spoken of which helped him within a week at the Montreal Western Hospital.
"My first successful surgery was on a cob of corn." -Dr. Rea Brown
His education in a one-room school shared stories that encouraged him to read. What is one book that you remember reading while growing up?
1954 - Dr. Brown was accepted into McGill University with the goals of getting a degree and playing football. Drafted by the Tiger-Cats in 1957, but didn't want to play professional football, and decided he wanted to be a doctor. 1958, joined the faculty of medicine students and continued to play football winning the 1960 Churchill Champions. Graduate in 1962 and applied to a training program for surgery and segued into sports medicine and many accolades and awards.
December 6, 1989 - the day of the massacre at École Polytechnique in Montreal, Dr. Rea Brown was present and available to support as the women came in for care. In 1991, the Parliament of Canada declared 6 December to be a National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women. It is also known as White Ribbon Day.
Doctor for the Montreal Alouettes and shares a couple of stories along with one he recalls with the quarterback, Turner Gill.
Erin Davis asks, 'who was your favourite patient?' Dr. Brown names John Beliveau (Montreal Canadiens from 1950 to 1971) as his favourite patient - hear why at the 24-minute mark
Advice to listeners to have hope: "I HOPE it is going to be better tomorrow." -Dr. Rea Brown
Dr. Brown reflects on funding a residents space on the 18th floor of the Montreal General Hospital called 'The Brown Room'
Subscribe, rate, and review our podcast on any network and share your thoughts on social media using the #ElderWisdom tag to help others find us.
----more----
The Green Bench is a symbol of elder wisdom. Physically or virtually, the bench invites us all to sit alongside a senior, share a conversation, or give and offer advice.
It challenges the stigma seniors face; the ageism still so prevalent in society. It reminds us of the wealth of wisdom our elders offer and in doing so, helps restore them to a place of reverence.
"The greatest untapped resource in Canada, if not the world, is the collective wisdom of our elders." -Ron Schlegel
This podcast is brought to you by Schlegel Villages, retirement & long-term care homes in Ontario, Canada.
#ElderWisdom | Stories from the Green Bench is produced by Memory Tree Productions
Learn more about our host, Erin Davis, at erindavis.com
Learn more about co-host, Lloyd Hetherington
Learn more about #ElderWisdom at elderwisdom.ca
Previous Episode
Donna Duncan - reimagining long-term care, building community, and combatting ageism
2 RecommendationsEpisode #28 - Erin Davis & Lloyd Hetherington welcome the CEO for the Ontario Long-Term Care Association, Donna Duncan to the green bench. A passionate conversation about what aged care is, building community, combatting ageism, and reimagining what long-term care can be in the future.
Donna first experienced long-term care in the 1980s with her grandmother and then again with her father living with alzheimers in 1999. She brings a personal view to what it is and what it can be as we look at some of today's challenges in front of us:
- Staffing challenges
- Older buildings
- Higher care needs
"We dream of a day that it is okay to go into long-term care, where people aren't frightened, families don't feel guilty, staff take great pride, and they are physical living environments where people want to be." -Donna Duncan
"Let's reimagine it (long-term care), let's rebuild it and rethink it with residents, families and staff. Anything is possible, especially if we work together." -Donna Duncan
What is a home with dignity and what is a care environment?
The pandemic has brought Mental Illness and Long-term Care to the forefront, two topics that Donna has a passion to work with.
"Aging is visible and I think it's time we take pride in the aging process and that we don't isolate people as we age." -Donna Duncan
"Honesty, integrity, genuine interest in people - we've got to bring these to the forefront and take the lead in sharing these concepts." -Lloyd Hetherington
"There has to be so much more WE in this and less compartmentalizing in the whole demographic picture." -Erin Davis
What does a community model look like for long-term care?
"You are never too old to set a new goal or to dream a new dream." -C.S. Lewis
Have a listen to this podcast by OLTCA
Coming of Age: Meeting the needs of our ageing population
The pandemic was driving many stories of darkness coming out of long-term care, rather than focussing on the people and their stories.
The podcast anchors us in hope and broadens the conversation of what aged care is and what it can be. Conversations with like minded individuals to build a movement.
"Fear of dying is human, but fear of aging is cultural." -Ashton Applewhite
"We are in it together. We have a message to get out and the more voices we can find, the better is it." -Lloyd Hetherington
Subscribe, rate, and review our podcast on any network and share your thoughts on social media using the #ElderWisdom tag to help others find us.
----more----
The Green Bench is a symbol of elder wisdom. Physically or virtually, the bench invites us all to sit alongside a senior, share a conversation, or give and offer advice.
It challenges the stigma seniors face; the ageism still so prevalent in society. It reminds us of the wealth of wisdom our elders offer and in doing so, helps restore them to a place of reverence.
"The greatest untapped resource in Canada, if not the world, is the collective wisdom of our elders." -Ron Schlegel
This podcast is brought to you by Schlegel Villages, retirement & long-term care homes in Ontario, Canada.
#ElderWisdom | Stories from the Green Bench is produced by Memory Tree Productions
Learn more about our host, Erin Davis, at erindavis.com
Learn more about co-host, Lloyd Hetherington
Learn more about #ElderWisdom at elderwisdom.ca
Next Episode
Felix Rommens - Living with hearing impairment, keeping hands busy with art, and growing up during WW2
3 RecommendationsEpisode #30 - Felix Rommens is 97 years old. If you are wondering what keeps him young and loving life at The Village of Winston Park in Kitchener, it has to be his art. Erin Davis and guest co-host Doug Reed welcome Felix to the green bench to share in a conversation about his art and about his hearing impairment, which has formed the life is living today.
Nearly 50% of people 75+ have trouble with their hearing.
"Being deaf, I was kind of a loner. So, in order not to get completely bonkers, I started working with my hands and my mind." - Felix Rommens
Felix was working in Belgium at the highest he was able to go in office work (hating office work), so he decided to move the whole family to Canada at the age of 41. A visit to the employment office on the day he landed and went directly into the building process, building homes, working 12 hours a day, 6 days a week. On the 7th day, he would do work at his own home.
When he retired at 71, he looked forward to the arts and crafts that he enjoyed. "The whole idea about my art is to keep something for tomorrow, so you keep going." - Felix Rommens
"I have only one life and I want to live it to the end." - Felix Rommens finds projects he looks forwards to with art and continues to use his hands as he did when he was 20.
Felix has the use of a woodshop at the Village to keep active in his art but also works in his suite, finding a way to continue working on projects.
"Keep on the positive side, think of all the good things that have happened to you." - Felix Rommens
Felix was captured by the Nazis during World War II, made to work in factories, awaiting liberation after 2 years in Germany, and then ran at the age of 18 on foot to make it home. His father was an officer in the Belgian army, shot at 40, and Felix as a child had to take care of him for the next 15 years due to his injuries.
"There are always two sides on a coin - I only took the good ones." - Felix Rommens
Subscribe, rate, and review our podcast on any network and share your thoughts on social media using the #ElderWisdom tag to help others find us.
----more----
The Green Bench is a symbol of elder wisdom. Physically or virtually, the bench invites us all to sit alongside a senior, share a conversation, or give and offer advice.
It challenges the stigma seniors face; the ageism still so prevalent in society. It reminds us of the wealth of wisdom our elders offer and in doing so, helps restore them to a place of reverence.
"The greatest untapped resource in Canada, if not the world, is the collective wisdom of our elders." -Ron Schlegel
This podcast is brought to you by Schlegel Villages, retirement & long-term care homes in Ontario, Canada.
#ElderWisdom | Stories from the Green Bench is produced by Memory Tree Productions
Learn more about our host, Erin Davis, at erindavis.com
Learn more about co-host, Lloyd Hetherington
Learn more about #ElderWisdom at elderwisdom.ca
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