QEII patient grateful for ‘hero’ — the neurosurgeon who saved his life

It came without warning and it wasn’t selective. It happened in the office and it happened at home — sometimes, it happened in mid-conversation. Jeff Whitman, of Dartmouth, N.S., was going blank. Each time the expression drained from his face, those around him thought he was daydreaming.

“Most people didn’t tell me. It’s like a stutter — you don’t correct people with a stutter. I wasn’t aware it was happening,” he says.

Then the phone calls came. Friends wanted to know why Jeff would leave a room in the middle of a sentence. After consulting with family, he decided to make a doctor’s appointment. Jeff went to the QEII Health Sciences Centre for specialized testing and was diagnosed with a brain tumour. Located in his right temporal lobe, it was causing complex partial seizures.

Jeff’s tumour was nearly identical to the one that had taken his father’s life at 36, except unlike his father’s, his was benign.

“There I was, approaching 30, with a brain tumour and wondering what would come next,” he says.

Jeff was introduced to Dr. David Clarke, a neurosurgeon at the QEII.

“He calmly talked me through the process. He had this amazing bedside manner. I was confident that this was the right thing to do and he was going to fix me,” he says.

Three months after the initial diagnosis, Dr. Clarke performed surgery on Jeff, removing the tumour and saving his life.

“Dr. Clarke is a superhero. We have world-class doctors right here in Halifax,” he says.

The QEII is home to Atlantic Canada’s first academic neurosciences program, which means the most comprehensive care in Atlantic Canada, including prevention, intervention, long-term management, and outreach for patients dealing with neural and sensory system disorders.

Thanks to generous community donors, the QEII Foundation raised $2.5-million to streamline services and improve technology so that patients like Jeff experience shorter wait times and have greater access to the care they need.

Because of the care he received at the QEII, Jeff feels a strong connection to his own hero — Dr. Clarke. He hopes profiling local heroes and sharing success stories, like his own, will inspire the community to support what matters most.

Years ago, Jeff participated in a newspaper contest to showcase heroes — some wrote in about their mother or favourite teacher, for example.

“I didn’t know they chose my submission. I woke up one morning and there was the paper on my doorstep with Dr. Clarke on the front page,” he says.

Though the colours are faded, Jeff still has a copy of this newspaper cut-out — a reminder of the care that laid the groundwork for the life he has now. Newly married, Jeff is taking in each day alongside his wife, Minna.