Suicide ranks among the top 20 causes of death globally. It’s estimated that globally 703,000 people die by suicide each year (WHO). In Canada 11 people die of suicide each day and the rate in Newfoundland and Labrador is even higher.

A third of all deaths by suicide in Canada are between the ages of 35 and 45. Suicide is the second leading cause of death in youth and young adults between 15 and 34.
The slogan of this year’s World Suicide Prevention Day is “Creating Hope Through Action”; by listening to survivors and those affected by suicide, sharing resources, and advocating for systemic changes in suicide prevention, we can create a future where every person experiencing suicidal thoughts feels supported and finds hope. Each year the Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health (CAMIMH) recognizes 7 Canadians whose work has helped to advance the mental health agenda across the country.

Joining us in this episode is Chief Medical Officer Dr. Allison Crawford of Talk Suicide to help us better understand suicide and the resources available to support those who need help. This episode will also highlight the important work done by dedicated volunteers like Steve Tizzard, recent recipient of the Workplace Mental Health Champion Award and Wyatt Higdue a mental health hotline volunteer.

In this episode we chat with my friend Mike Dawe, who after a cancer diagnosis focussed his sites on competing in an IronMan competition. This is an amazing story of overcoming adversity and focussing on the positive in the face of a potentially life threatening illness. We chatted about his journey and how Young Adult Cancer Canada is supporting his mission and sharing his story. Its one you won't want to miss!

Cancer isn’t just one disease- it’s more than 100 diseases. Cancer research is important to help us better understand these diseases and reduce their immense human and economic tolls. More than 200,000 Canadians will be diagnosed with cancer this year and the support services they both deserve and require come with a significant cost.
According to Charity Intelligence, The Canadian Cancer Society has raised $122.7m so far in 2022. Of this $46.8 million was invested in research and 52% in support programs like online resources, telephone counselling, transportation and accommodation, free wigs and prosthetics, and other services.
The Polka Dot Trot is a 5km walk that raises money for all cancers and all funds stay in the province of Newfoundland & Labrador. This is the 6th year for the event and for the first time it will be held out of the city, beginning in Paradise Park and walking around Octagon Pond. Registration is now open and the event is on October 16th.
The Terry Fox Run has raised $850m to date, and funded over 1300 research projects. Of the almost $26 million fundraising dollars so far for 2022 the Terry Fox Foundation and TFRI has distributed over $16m in support of international cancer research organizations. This year’s local run will be held on Sunday, September 18 at Quidi Vidi Lake - St. John's Regatta BoatHouse. Registration opens at 10:00 am.
The Public Conference on Cancer is a free and virtual conference designed for the members of the general public in NL scheduled for October 15. This conference is co-organized with the public members (cancer patients or their family members) in the Public Interest Group on Cancer Research. Attendees will hear about lived experiences of cancer patients and family members, cancer screening programs and services and the important role of patient-public members in research, outreach and health-care related improvements.
Join us this episode as we learn more about these local cancer initiatives and how we can get involved in supporting them. Our guests include Rebecca (Kirby) Browning, Cancer Care Foundation, Sarah Neil from the Canadian Cancer Society, Debbie Curtis, Terry Fox Run and Dr. Sevtap Savas, Public Conference on Cancer.

Soapbox Science is a novel approach to showcase women and non-binary scientists and the exciting science they do. In 2021 a total of forty-five in-person and online events were held around the world Since 2011 Soapbox Science has featured over 1500 scientists and reached 150,000 members of the public! Following the format of London Hyde Park’s Speaker’s Corner, which is historically an arena for public debate, Soapbox Science events provide everyone with an opportunity to learn from, question and interact with leading scientists. It’s hoped that these exciting events will inspire people who don’t normally get exposed to science and make science accessible to anyone, irrespective of education or financial means.
There are far fewer women in leadership positions in STEM fields than men, with gender disparity being particularly wide in Newfoundland. Dr. Sarah Sauvé, Özgen Demirkaplan and Christina Prokopenko, are bringing the first Soapbox Science event to Newfoundland this year. It will consist of three parts featuring 3 scientists in each session who will talk about their exciting work and their personal experiences as a woman or non-binary in a STEM field. Everyone is welcome to register for any or all of these online events to learn more about the latest cool science happening right here in the province!
Joining us for this episode are Dr. Sarah Sauvé, event organizer and two of the presenters at this year’s event, Dr. Sevtap Savas and Sarita Pellowe. We will learn more about Soapbox Science and be introduced to some of the exciting work being done right here in Newfoundland & Labrador. Lets check it out

Monkeypox was first identified in a lab nearly 70 years ago among research monkeys (hence its name). It occurs primarily in tropical rainforest areas of central and west Africa but has been occasionally exported to other regions. It’s gotten little global attention until the recent rising cases in countries in Europe, the U.S. and Canada.

Monkeypox virus is transmitted from one person to another by close contact with lesions, body fluids, respiratory droplets and contaminated materials such as bedding. Typical symptoms include fever, rash and swollen lymph nodes and may lead to a range of medical complications.

We have been hearing alot about the virus in recent weeks so joining us today is Dr. Janice Fitzgerald, Newfoundland and Labrador's Chief Medical Officer of Health to help us better understand the Monkeypox virus, what is happening around the world and at home and what we and our public health agencies can do to control its spread and manage its treatment.

We often tend to blame our poor health outcomes mainly on the healthcare system. But we are quickly learning that here in Newfoundland and Labrador that social, economic, and environmental factors, which are called the social determinants of health account for 60% of the impact on our health. Where and how we live, work and play and inequalities in healthcare access are all key factors. Our genetic makeup and our biology only influence about 15% of our health outcomes while 25% of the impact is related to our health system.
Since November 2020, Health Accord NL has gathered evidence, focused its work in six committees and four working groups, and engaged with thousands of people across the province. It has developed 57 Calls to Action. The conclusion of the work of Health Accord NL is that we can improve the health, health outcomes, and health equity of the people of the province by assessing and intervening, as appropriate, in the social, economic, and environmental factors that impact our health with support by adequate resources from a higher quality health system that rebalances community, hospital, and long-term care services.
What will a rebalanced system look like? How will it be developed, managed, funded and evaluated? Join us today as we welcome back Dr. Patrick Parfrey and Sister Elizabeth Davis to walk us through the findings and recommendations in the Health Accord NL Report.

The human gut is complex and our gut microbiome is unique to each of us. Many people think of their gut as their stomach but it’s actually a long passage leading from the mouth to the anus. We have more than a trillion microbial cells present in our guts which collectively makeup our Gut Microbiome. Research to date suggests that the gut microbiome impacts whole-body health including immunity, heart and brain health, physical endurance, improved mood and sleep, effective digestion and mental health. Any imbalance of good and bad microbes in the gut may contribute to weight gain, high blood sugar, high cholesterol and many serious health conditions.
Join us as we chat with Dr. Nikitha Kendyala and Dr. Purvikalyan Pallegar founders of Nucliq Biologics to learn more about gut health and the latest advancements in developing microbiome-based personalized therapeutics and diagnostics that leverage the knowledge of molecular and functional interactions between microbiome and the human body and the power of artificial intelligence.

The most commonly accepted components of compassion are:
An emotional response (concern)
A cognitive response (perception of suffering)
A motivational response (desire to see suffering relieved)
Empathy generally precedes compassion. It is the ability to understand what the other person is feeling, see things from their point of view and perhaps even see yourself in their situation without necessarily desiring to do something about it. Functional MRI’s have demonstrated that when you have empathy it activates the pain centre in the brain “feel your pain” When you take action it activates a different part of your brain – reward centre. Empathy hurts – compassion heals. It is the motivation to go beyond merely empathizing and see the pain diminished or the suffering relieved that distinguishes compassion from empathy. As one writer put it “empathy hurts - compassion heals”.

In 2018 Drs. Steve Trezciak and Anthony Mazzarelli published Compassionomics: The Revolutionary Scientific Evidence that Caring Makes a Difference, a book based on their two-year journey utilizing biomedical evidence in which they conducted the largest systematic review of the literature related to acts of compassion in healthcare. Their research showed that compassion has a direct, undeniable impact on health outcomes of patients, burnout in practitioners and cost reduction in health care systems.

Compassion is a skill and not a trait. For most of us it can be taught. It’s good for both our physical and mental health. Helping others feels good, contributes to our happiness and sense of purpose and meaning in life.

Join us as we explore compassion with Dr. Francis Scully, professor, researcher and founder of BeCompassionateNL. We’ll examine the nature of compassion, our ability to learn how to be more compassionate, its potential impacts on our personal health and how we can build more compassionate communities.

In this episode we hear about a new book called a Life Spent Listening by local author and psychologist Dr. Hasan Khalili. His book is a unique and engaging perspective of humanity – a journey to wisdom shared through stories of self-awareness, acceptance, and discovery, by acclaimed psychotherapist Dr. Hassan Khalili.

In A Life Spent Listening, Dr. Hassan Khalili reflects on four decades of being a frontline community psychotherapist and shares the wisdom he has learned over the years. By inviting the reader into his own life and the lives of his patients, Dr. Khalili explores the human condition and explains his concept of the grid as a guiding principle in his psychological practice. The book takes us from his experience as a young Iranian immigrant in Newfoundland and Labrador to his role as one of the top psychologists in the province, by way of his adventures hiking Machu Picchu and Mount Kilimanjaro. Dr. Khalili illuminates what it means to seek contentment and how we hold the key to our own happiness.

Eye health matters. The brain uses our eyes to help us to see. Eyesight is connected to brain development. We’ve all heard the expression that the “eyes are the windows to the soul” but little did some of us know that the eyes are a window to our overall health. We don’t generally think about an eye exam saving your life but a comprehensive eye exam can provide important clues in identifying serious underlying health conditions like tumors, aneurysms, MS, Parkinson’s disease and diabetes. Diabetes, the number one cause of blindness in Canada, is expected to rise to nearly 14 million by 2026. 20% of newly diagnosed diabetes cases show that the damaging effects of diabetic retinopathy have been occurring for 4-7 years prior to diagnosis.

From six months on we should be working with professionals to monitor eye health in our children. Studies show that 80 percent of what a child learns in school is information that is presented visually. Vision or eye health problems can affect their ability to retain, learn and perform basic tasks. 61% of parents mistakenly believe they’d know if their child had a vision issue.

As we grow older, our eyes may look the same but their functionality changes affecting our colour detection, adjustment to light levels and tear duct issues leading to dry eyes. We may need intervention to deal with glare and ocular diseases like cataracts, glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration which can lead to vision impairment and affect our daily activities. Seniors with vision or eye health problems experience twice the number of falls, 3 times the incidence of depression, have double the mortality rate and are admitted to nursing homes 3 years earlier.

Join us as we chat with Dr. Clare Halleran, owner of East Coast Eye Care in Clarenville, Newfoundland about the importance of eye health, what we should know about it and what we can do to protect it.