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7 | The IFP -H alton H ills | T hursday,A pril 15,2021 theifp.ca Paid for by the Government of Ontario Your turn is coming soon. Ontario's COVID-19 vaccine plan is helping to stop the spread and save lives. Thousands of people across the province are getting vaccinated everyday. As vaccinations continue, we need to stay the course to protect those we love.Wear a mask.Wash your hands. Keep your distance. Find out when, where and how to get vaccinated at ontario.ca/covidvaccineplan or call 1-888-999-6488 for assistance in more than 300 languages. A former Georgetown physician who's paralyzed by a terminal illness re- cently took to the TEDx stage to share his healing journey in the wake of deep personal loss. Dr. Jeff Sutherland's talk through McMaster University, entitled "Rede- fining a Life with Meaning Following Profound Adver- sity," aims to shine a light on the path forward after a tragedy. The father of three with ALS shares the heartbreak of losing his 21-year-old son Zach and Zach's girlfriend, Kaya, in a kayaking acci- dent on the Credit River five years ago, along with the steps he and his family have taken to bring pur- pose and meaning to their lives following such im- mense grief. Sutherland, who's con- fined to a wheelchair and is unable to eat, drink, breathe or speak without assistance, was able to tell his story through a computerized system that tracks his eye movements on a visual key- board and reads out loud on his behalf. "I hope for those who have not yet suffered pro- found loss, that it (the talk) increases compassion for those who have. Compas- sion elicits more acts of kindness toward others," he told the Independent in an email interview. "For those who have had tragedy enter their lives, I hope that our story gives them the knowledge that it's possible to make the choice to make peace with tragedy, and even eventu- ally move forward with a new sense of meaning. If I can do it, I hope that it in- spires others to do the same." On most days, Suther- land said, he and wife Dar- lene are able to live in the present and hold their sad- ness with gratitude for their family, friends and community. He added they're also buoyed by doing good for others, like honouring Zach and Kaya's lives through a charitable foun- dation in their names that supports youth who've suf- fered the loss of a loved one, along with recognizing his own health journey through fundraising for ALS. "This advocacy has pro- vided purposes and mean- ing into our lives and it has made us less victims of our circumstances," he said. Sutherland released a memoir entitled "Still Life" in 2019, which took his weekly writing that he used to process grief and transformed it into the ba- sis of a manuscript. The 200-page book details his ongoing healing journey and the vulnerabilities of his normally private life with Darlene. While sharing his fami- ly's story in any format is always "so difficult," Suth- erland said the time limit allotted for his TEDx talk made it critical that every word and message be pre- cise. "It also had to express the magnitude of devasta- tion that occurs when a person suffers deep per- sonal loss," he said. "It had to be honest and not 'Polly- anna-esque.'" To view Sutherland's talk, visit the TEDx Talks page on YouTube. NEWS 'MAKE PEACE WITH TRAGEDY' MAN WITH ALS SHARES STORY OF LOSING SON IN TEDX TALK MELANIE HENNESSEY mhennessey@ metroland.com Dr. Jeff Sutherland says he's received a positive response from those who've listened to his TEDx talk 'Redefining a Life with Meaning Following Profound Adversity.' TEDx screenshot "I hope for those who have not yet suffered profound loss, that it (the talk) increases compassion for those who have." - Dr. Jeff Sutherland