Former Sunnybrook physician hailed as an Everyday Hero

Dr. Philip Hébert, retired Sunnybrook family physician and teacher of professional ethics, is featured in a fundraising campaign for Parkinson Society Canada, as an everyday hero and as a person living with Parkinson’s disease.

Diagnosed when he was 44, he has recently undergone successful deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery, and is providing his expertise on end of life planning discussions with people with Parkinson's and their families.

“Together, the physician and the patient need to make very specific decisions. For instance, the person with Parkinson’s may not want to have any medical interventions to help them breathe, but does that mean they wouldn’t want help temporarily to combat pneumonia? These are the kinds of decisions that need to be communicated in advance,” he says.

The timing of such conversations can also be difficult to determine. Hébert thinks they should begin when a physician thinks a patient could die within a year. “Often, this is after a serious fall, or the early signs of dementia could warrant conversations about care desires, directly with the patient and involve the caregivers or family members, so they too are aware of the patient’s wishes.”

After 20 years of living with Parkinson’s, Dr. Hébert is passionate about his work and his life. He has served on Parkinson Society Canada’s Board of Directors for the last five years and plans to participate in Parkinson SuperWalk again on September 13.