Reader's Digest_Sept 2021

I FORGAVE THE MAN WHO ALMOST KILLED ME

PAGE 52

Signs You CANADA’S SEPTEMBER 2021
Grind Your MOST-READ
Teeth—and MAGAZINE
How to Stop

PAGE 18

RANDOM
ACTS OF

THAT MAKE US PROUD
TO BE CANADIAN

P.26

5Habits Why It’s Time
for a to Get an
Happier
Gut Electric Car

PAGE 42 PAGE 14

Keep Romance
Alive—at Any Age

PAGE 38

When you make Natural Calm
magnesium a part of your
daily routine, you’re not only
changing your life for the
better, you’re helping change
thousands more.
100% of profits are donated to:

naturalcalm.ca • thriveforgood.org

reader’s digest

CONTENTS

(COVER PHOTO) ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/SKODONNELL; (THIS PAGE) IAN WILLMS Features 38 42

26 life lesson health

cover story The Spark The Ultimate
Guide to Your Gut
RANDOM ACTS Tips to keep the flame
OF KINDNESS burning in your intimate The bacteria in your
relationships. intestines affects
From donating a kidney whether you’ll have
to writing letters to BY COURTNEY SHEA allergies, your risk of
seniors, these incredi- depression and even
ble Canadians made 70 how well your medica-
a difference. tion works. Here’s what
you should know about
BY SARAH LISS AND your gut microbiome.
CHRISTINA PALASSIO
BY VANESSA MILNE

rd.ca 1

reader’s digest

52 80 86 McKENZIE JAMES

drama in real life family editors’ choice

Forgiveness Comes In Dogs We Trust How to Sit Still
From the Heart
What I learned from my The cottage chair that
A speeding boat nearly constant companions helped one man slow
killed Carter Viss. He down, find the love of
vowed to work with the BY JENNIFER FINNEY BOYLAN his life and fully appre-
driver to make sure it FROM GOOD BOY: MY LIFE IN ciate the joys of quiet
never happens again. SEVEN DOGS contemplation.

BY GARY STEPHEN ROSS 62 BY PHILIP PREVILLE
FROM COTTAGE LIFE
62

heart

Embrace the Curl

How I learned to accept
the hair that made me
an outsider.

BY VERONICA ANTIPOLO

66

humour

Hit the Road

My family’s first RV
trip was also our last.

BY MEGAN MURPHY

70

society

Eviction in the
Time of COVID-19

Nina Hodder lost
work because of the
pandemic. The story
of her fight to keep
her home.

BY RAIZEL ROBIN

2 september 2021

Departments Humour 20

(ILLUSTRATION) VALÉRY GOULET; (LAPTOP) ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/SETTHAPHAT DODCHAI; (CAT) ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/GLOBALP 4 Editor’s Letter 37 health
6 Contributors Modern
7 Letters Romance 18 Back to the Grind
16 Points to Ponder
61 Teeth gnashing
big idea Life’s Like That may be on the rise,
but there are long-
8 Talk It Out 68 term solutions.
As Kids See It
Why two Arab- BY ALLISON BAKER
Canadian youth 79
created a forum Laughter, the Best 20 News From the
for difficult World of Medicine
discussions. Medicine
BY SAMANTHA RIDEOUT
BY ALI AMAD ask an expert
medical mystery
good news 14 When Will
We All Have 23 The Lump
11 Five Reasons Electric Cars?
to Smile His doctor thought
We ask transporta- he had a benign
BY AL DONATO tion researcher cyst—then it grew
Josipa Petrunic. to the size of a
18 baseball.
BY COURTNEY SHEA
BY LUC RINALDI

reader’s digest
book club

98 The Winter Wives

Every month we
recommend a new
must-read book.

BY EMILY LANDAU

100 Trivia

101 Word Power

103 Sudoku

104 Crossword

rd.ca 3

reader’s digest

EDITOR’S LETTER much of the homeless population has
been living in makeshift dwellings
All Heart in the city’s parks and ravines, despite
the threat of arrest and removal. But
F or the second year in a row, we’re living in parks is far safer than being in
celebrating one of our favourite a crowded shelter. Around the block
things: random acts of kindness. from me, one man had built himself
Starting on page 26, you’ll read about a plywood hut on a sidewalk corner.
people who donate kidneys, protect Neighbours brought him hot meals
ancient trees, return childhood dia- and supplies, such as PPE. Then, one
ries and, in one nail-biting scene, day, the city carted away the hut and
grab a man who is leaping off an he disappeared.
overpass. There’s even a brave
dog who stops traffic to save his According to Statistics Canada, some
unconscious owner. 235,000 Canadians experience home-
lessness in any given year. Although
This was a bumper sea- there aren’t any reliable figures, the
son for kindness. Over the economic strain of the pandemic has
past few months, I’ve been likely only increased that number.
especially impressed by That’s the fate faced by Nina Hodder in
my Toronto neighbours “Eviction in the Time of COVID-19”
and their outspoken sup- (page 70), who was unable to make
port of the city’s homeless rent when the pandemic interrupted
encampments. Since the her work. For a year, she fought evic-
start of the pandemic,
tion by her landlord. It’ll require
more than random acts of kind-
ness to help the tens of thousands
like her keep their homes, too.

P.S. You can reach
me at mark@rd.ca.

DANIEL EHRENWORTH

4 september 2021

PUBLISHED BY THE READER’S DIGEST MAGAZINES CANADA LIMITED, MONTREAL, CANADA

Christopher Dornan chairman of the board
James Anderson publisher and national sales director

Barbara Robins vice president and legal counsel
Mark Pupo editor-in-chief

deputy editor Lauren McKeon art director John Montgomery
executive editor, associate art director Danielle Sayer

digital Brett Walther graphic designer Pierre Loranger
senior editor Micah Toub content operations
associate editor Robert Liwanag
assistant editor, manager Lisa Pigeon
circulation director Edward Birkett
digital Erica Ngao
editorial intern Aysha White contributors: Ali Amad, Veronica Antipolo, Allison
contributing editors Rosie Long Decter, Baker, Jennifer Finney Boylan, Natalie Castellino, Tiffany

Samantha Rideout Dang, Al Donato, Daniel Ehrenworth, Valery Goulet,
proofreader Katie Moore McKenzie James, Susan Camilleri Konar, Emily Landau,
senior researcher Lucy Uprichard Erika Larsen, Angela Lewis, Sarah Liss, Greg Locke, Lucy
researchers Ali Amad, Martha Beach,
Lu, Kari Medig, Vanessa Milne, Kevin Moran, Megan
Sydney Hamilton, Murphy, Barbara Olson, Christina Palassio, Philip Preville,
Beth Shillibeer, Amy van Luc Rinaldi, Raizel Robin, Gary Ross, Graham Roumieu,
den Berg, Sophie Weiler,
Sean Young Julie Saindon, Courtney Shea, Beth Shillibeer, Lauren
copy editors Chad Fraser, Amy Harkness, Tamaki, Rémi Thériault, Conan de Vries, Jeff Widderich,
Richard Johnson
Ian Willms, Victor Wong

THE READER’S DIGEST ASSOCIATION (CANADA) ULC

Corinne Hazan financial director
Mirella Liberatore product manager, magazine marketing

national account executives Steven DeMelo, Melissa Silverberg
marketing and research director Kelly Hobson

head of marketing solutions and new product development Melissa Williams
graphic designer, marketing solutions Kelly Stinziano
project manager, marketing solutions Angele Asube
production manager Lisa Snow

TRUSTED MEDIA BRANDS

Bonnie Kintzer president and chief executive officer

VOL. 199, NO. 1,182 Copyright © 2021 by Reader’s Digest Magazines We acknowledge
Canada Limited. Reproduction in any manner in whole or in part in English or with gratitude the
other languages prohibited. All rights reserved throughout the world. Protection financial support of
secured under International and Pan-American copyright conventions. the Government of Canada. / Nous remercions le
Publications Mail Agreement No. 40070677. Postage paid at Montreal. Return Gouvernement du Canada pour son appui financier.
undeliverable Canadian addresses to 4150 Ste Catherine west, suite 490,
Montreal, QC, H3Z 2Y5. Reader’s Digest publishes 10 issues per year and may
occasionally publish special issues (special issues count as
Print subscriptions, $34.50 a year, plus $8.99 postage, processing and hand- two)‚ subject to change without notice.
ling. Please add applicable taxes. Outside Canada, $53.96 yearly, including
postage, processing and handling. (Prices and postage subject to change
without notice.) ISSN 0034-0413. Indexed by the Canadian Periodical Index.
Single issue: $4.95.

rd.ca 5

reader’s digest

CONTRIBUTORS

AL DONATO ALLISON BAKER

Writer, Toronto Writer, Toronto

“Good News: Five “Back to the Grind”
Reasons to Smile”
Baker is a fact checker,
Donato is a freelance journalist who copy editor and writer, as well as a
has been published by HuffPost Can- 2021 Michener–L. Richard O’Hagan
ada and CBC. Donato specializes in fellow and a senior fellow at The Wal-
stories about equity issues and trans rus. Since 2016, she has produced
well-being, and has co-hosted and Mi’kmaq Matters, a podcast about
produced Born and Raised, an the Mi’kmaq people, and the politics,
acclaimed podcast about second- land and water of Newfoundland.
generation Canadians. Read their Read her latest story, about how the
roundup of uplifting stories from pandemic has caused more people to
around the world on page 11. grind their teeth, on page 18.

LUCY LU TIFFANY DANG

Photographer, Toronto Illustrator, Toronto

“Talk It Out” “The Spark”

Lu is an artist and Dang was born and (DONATO) JESSICA PATTERSON
photographer whose work has raised in San Jose, California. Her
appeared in The Globe and Mail, award-winning illustrations have
Report on Business Magazine, been featured in Scientific American,
Maclean’s and The Walrus. Her The Washington Post and on Politico
images highlight cultural identities, Europe. Dang’s brightly coloured
personal histories and human con- work merges traditional and digital
nection. Lu’s work has been exhibited media to create dynamic and striking
in galleries across Ontario, most designs. You can find her contribu-
notably the Ryerson Image Centre. tion to this issue’s Life Lesson on
Check out her photo on page 8. page 38.

6 september 2021

LETTERS

PUBLISHED LETTERS ARE EDITED FOR LENGTH AND CLARITY. (ILLUSTRATION) GENEVIEVE ASHLEY FALSELY ADVERTISED FLOWER POWER
Thank you for “How to Outsmart a When I read “Golden Years” (June
Scammer” (May 2021). The too-good- 2021), Mark Angus Hamlin’s story
to-be-true scams are the ones that about his mother getting a tattoo to
bother me the most. Last year, I fell for celebrate her birthday, I said “Wow, I
a company’s claims about a portable did that too!” As my 80th birthday
air conditioner. When it arrived and I approached, I wondered what I could
plugged it in, it worked no better than do to mark the occasion. Then it came
the fan from my local store. to me: I’ll get a sunflower tattoo! I
showed it to the grandkids, who asked
— CAROL OVERING, Dundas, Ont. two questions: “Grandma, is that real?”
Yes. “Grandma, did it hurt?” Yes. I liked
RISING NUMBERS my tattoo so much that I got another
I appreciated the topical, balanced and one to celebrate my 81st.
helpful article, “A World of Worry”
(May 2021). There was a distortion, — PHYLLIS CUNNINGHAM, Speers, Sask.
however, in the following statement:
“Arthur is one of the 44 million North
Americans who experience an anxiety
disorder.” A quick check indicated that
you overlooked Mexico, where another
18 million people suffer from anxiety.

— RICK BELL, Cowley, Alta.

CONTRIBUTE FOR SERVICE TO SUBSCRIBERS Pay your bill, view your account
Send us your funny jokes and anecdotes, and if we publish one in a print online, change your address and browse our FAQs at rd.ca/contact.
edition of Reader’s Digest, we’ll send you $50. To submit, visit rd.ca/joke.
MAIL PREFERENCE Reader’s Digest maintains a record of your pur-
Original contributions (text and photos) become the property of chase and sweepstakes participation history for Customer Service
The Reader’s Digest Magazines Canada Limited, and its affiliates and and Marketing departments, which enables us to offer the best
licensees, upon publication. Submissions may be edited for length service possible along with quality products we believe will inter-
and clarity, and may be reproduced in all print and electronic media. est you. Occasionally, to allow our customers to be aware of other
Receipt of your submission cannot be acknowledged. products and services that may be of interest to them, we provide
this information to other companies. Should you wish, for any rea-
CONTACT US son, not to receive such offers from other companies, please write
CUSTOMER SERVICE customer.service@readersdigest.ca to: Privacy Office, Reader’s Digest, P.O. Box 963, Station Main,
Reader’s Digest Customer Care Centre, P.O. Box 970 Station Main, Markham, Ontario, L3P 0J4. You may also write to this address if
Markham, ON L3P 0K2 you no longer wish to receive offers from Reader’s Digest or
should you have any questions regarding your record or wish to
CONTACT THE EDITORS Have something to say about an article examine or correct it.
in Reader’s Digest? Send your letters to editors_canada@rd.ca

rd.ca 7

reader’s digest

BIG IDEA

Why two Arab-Canadian youth created
a forum for difficult discussions

Talk It Out

BY Ali Amad

photograph by lucy lu

B ACK IN 2017, Hani Al-Dajane student. Both Al-Dajane and Alwash
was struggling to figure out had moved to Canada from other
where he fit in. Al-Dajane, then countries (he from Kuwait and she from
25, was the only Arab at the Toronto Iraq), and hit it off in university. Alwash
law firm where he worked. Every time was similarly troubled by the dearth of
he scrolled online, he saw mainstream Arab voices in Canadian society. She
media stories filled with negative ste- also had difficulty connecting with
reotypes about his culture—if they other Arabs about seemingly taboo
included Arab perspectives at all. And, topics, which made her feel even more
within his own Arab community, he unrepresented and isolated. “We real-
felt there weren’t enough spaces for ized we couldn’t be the only ones feel-
young people to talk about the issues ing this way,” says Al-Dajane.
that mattered to them, such as racism,
gender equality or LGBTQ rights. The solution, they decided, was to
host events for like-minded young Arab
Finally, he confided in his friend adults. In May 2018, they launched
Mays Alwash, a 24-year-old biology Yalla Let’s Talk! (yalla is Arabic for

8 september 2021

Hani Al-Dajane
and Mays Alwash

help Arabs find
community.

reader’s digest

“Come on!”) as an event series, spread- “The meetups were all about encour-
ing the word through Arab-Canadian aging conversations that are usually
youth leaders and social media influ- swept under the rug,” says Alwash. Mus-
encers. Six months later, about 50 par- lim women who wear a hijab shared the
ticpants in their 20s met at a café in challenges of using dating apps. Black
Mississauga for the first event. People Arabs spoke about the racism they
sat in a circle with Al-Dajane and encountered. Some participants shared
Alwash moderating. They opened with stories about their experiences with
questions about “choice.” What choices trauma. Others came out as LGBTQ for
are yours, and what choices are con- the first time among other Arabs.
trolled by family pressures? One per-
son likened the idea of community to a In 2020, with in-person events post-
chain: there’s only so far you can move poned because of the pandemic, the
before the chain pulls you back. That organization began hosting free YLT
resonated with others. Like Al-Dajane, virtual cafés via Zoom every Saturday.
the group wanted to loosen their More than 1,500 people from around
chains without discarding their rich the world have attended. Then, last fall,
Arab heritage. Al-Dajane and Alwash found a way to
expand the conversation even further,
“THE MEETUPS ARE turning YLT into a full-fledged media
ABOUT ENCOURAGING company that produces content both
CONVERSATIONS THAT as an online magazine and through an
Instagram account. Arab staff writers
ARE SWEPT UNDER and guest columnists write about sub-
THE RUG.” jects as varied as divorce, masturbation,
women’s rights and mental health.
Soon, Al-Dajane and Alwash began
holding monthly meetups across the Today, Al-Dajane is a lawyer at
GTA. Anyone who identified as Arab or Emerge LLP, a firm that helps entrepre-
with the immigrant experience could neurs, which he also co-founded, and
participate. YLT then expanded its Alwash is a PhD candidate in molecu-
volunteer-run events to London, Ont. lar biology at the University of Toronto.
and Montreal, as well as to cities in the Neither feels isolated or anchorless
United States and the United Kingdom. anymore—they’ve built a new com-
In its first year, YLT held 20 café meet- munity and a meaningful Arab identity
ups that hosted nearly 1,000 people. for themselves. “We all have different
goals and values,” says Al-Dajane, “but
the new generation of Arabs has one
thing in common: a desire to make a
positive difference.”

10 september 2021

GOOD NEWS

Five Reasons to smile
BY Al Donato

The Belize Maya
Forest is home to
200 species of trees.

A RAINFOREST FOR EVERYONE

COURTESY OF THE NATURE CONSERVANCY belize Rainforests are well known as vital habitat for jaguars, spider mon-
habitat for extraordinary numbers of keys and pumas.
species of flora and fauna. They’re also
the Earth’s lungs. But deforestation “If that area had not been purchased,
from development and farming is a the likely future of it was going to be full
constant threat: between 2010 and clearcutting of the forest for large-scale
2020, South America lost 2.6 million mechanized agriculture for crops or
hectares of forest per year. for cattle ranching,” says Elma Kay, sci-
ence director at the University of Belize
One section of rainforest now has a Environmental Research Institute.
lifetime guarantee against that fate.
This past April, a coalition of 16 con- Because of its rugged terrain, humans
servation partners, including the Nature haven’t lived in the area for 200 years.
Conservancy, a global non-profit, Kay, who leads the team that consults
bought about 95,000 hectares of land with local communities, hopes the
from the Forestland Group, a logging region will soon attract tourists;
company. Named the Belize Maya For- among its most stunning features are
est by its new guardians, the area is a cenotes, natural pools of water that
were central to ancient Mayan culture.

rd.ca 11

reader’s digest

The safeguarding of the Belize Maya that, if maintained, may help the coun- ECOPRINT/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
Forest may also lead to programs that try reach the carbon-sinking goals it
would make crop-growing in the sur- set out in the 2015 Paris Agreement.
rounding area more sustainable.
Bunnies Dust Up
Now rainforest conservationists will a Prehistoric Win
turn to another nearby project: pro-
tecting a corridor of 12,140 hectares of wales In March, Richard Brown and
jungle that connects the Belize Maya Giselle Eagle, wardens of the small
Forest to pristine forested mountains island of Skokholm, spotted rabbits
on the Guatemalan border. digging up pebbles and pottery shards.
The couple, wondering if the items
Endangered Cheetahs were of any significance, sent photos
Make Historic Comeback to archaeologists. They were surprised
to learn the pebbles were, in fact,
india More than 70 years after India’s remnants of 9,000-year-old Stone Age
cheetahs were hunted to extinction, tools, while the shards were from a
the big cats are finally set to return. In 3,750-year-old cremation urn from the
a project spearheaded by India’s Min- Bronze Age, making them the oldest
istry of Environment, Forest and Cli- known artifacts from the island.
mate Change, upwards of 40 African
cheetahs will be relocated from Africa “Thanks to the sharp eyes of the
to India. The first eight to 10 will wardens, we have the first con-
arrive at Kuno National Park, firmed Mesolithic tools and
a 74,800-hectare area with first Bronze Age pottery
a healthy population of from Skokholm,” said
wild pig and cattle, by Toby Driver, an archae-
the end of the year. ologist at the Royal Com-
mission, Wales. The dis-
There were 100,000 coveries are evidence of
cheetahs worldwide at hunter-gatherer occupa-
the turn of the 19th cen- tion on the island—prior
tury—just 7,100 survive studies went only as far back
today. In 1947, the last three as the Iron Age, which extended
Asiatic Cheetahs in India were
reportedly killed during a hunt by a in Great Britain from 800 BC to AD
local prince. 100. Once COVID-19 travel restric-
tions are lifted, researchers are plan-
Ecologists hope that the cheetahs ning a trip to the island for further
will play a pivotal role in preserving exploration.
India’s dwindling grasslands—regions

12 september 2021

A Solution to Gum Litter Launched in 2017, True Gum pro-
duces 400,000 pieces of plastic-free
denmark Our habit of chewing minty chewing gum a day at its Copenhagen
gum is not without its toll on the envi- factory. Each piece of True Gum has a
ronment. Most of it is made from syn- chicle base, a resin that Mayan and
thetic polymers, like plastic, which Aztec peoples were chewing hundreds
aren’t biodegradable. That’s why so of years ago. Now people in such coun-
much discarded gum seems to perma- tries as the Netherlands, Germany and
nently stick to sidewalks. To help tackle Belgium are True Gum chewers. If the
this problem, entrepreneurs Peter Juul eco-friendly candy catches on, it could
Regnersgaard and Morten Ebdrup cre- spell the end of gum-spotted sidewalks
ated their own plastic-free alternative. the world over.

ACTS OF KINDNESS

An Albertan With a Big Heart

COURTESY OF JACOB FAITHFUL When COVID-19 arrived in Frog first mask-manufacturing business
Lake First Nation, Jacob Faithful, a on a Canadian reserve that’s fully
42-year-old owner of a janitorial owned and operated by Indigenous
business, was inundated with people. Young Spirit Supplies,
requests from his friends and neigh- named after Faithful’s traditional
bours for personal protective equip- music singing group, now employs
ment (PPE), including masks. The 30 people and produces 100,000
pandemic disproportionately affected face masks every day, to be shipped
Indigenous peoples in Western across Canada and globally. “I really
Canada, including Frog Lake, a feel we are making significant
community some 200 kilometres change,” he says. “We’re adding
northeast of Edmonton, with an to much-needed protection for us
on-reserve population of 2,100. and for people around the world.”

But PPE supplies remained The company also collaborates
hard to come by, especially in with Indigenous artists to
remote towns. Last Novem- design the masks’ patterns
ber, Faithful had an idea: and packaging. Faithful sees
why not make masks right no shortage of demand for
there in Frog Lake? masks in the future, and
plans to build his own facil-
Working out of the gym of ity in Frog Lake later
the local health centre, his this year.
company became the

rd.ca 13

reader’s digest

ASK AN EXPERT

When Will
We All Have
Electric Cars?

We ask transportation
researcher Josipa Petrunic

BY Courtney Shea

illustration by lauren tamaki

The federal government has set some Do you mean road tolls?
ambitious targets for electric vehicle Exactly. You’d have to pay to enter any
use: 10 per cent of new cars purchased major city, and you would pay less or
by 2025 must be EVs, and 30 per cent not at all if you have an EV. In the U.K.,
by 2030. How are we doing? tolls for entering London have been
We are currently between three and extremely effective, both in cutting down
four per cent. Our government targets congestion and in reducing car use and
are aggressive but not impossible—if getting more people onto transit. If the
we make some changes. Over the last overall goal of emissions reduction is
few years, the focus has been on sub- hitting our Paris Agreement targets and
sidies and other financial incentives: if saving the planet, only getting those
you buy an EV you get a tax writeoff. who can afford it into an EV is not going
That is one piece of the puzzle, but it’s to move the needle.
not enough. We have to start pricing
roadway, which could be incredibly
effective, but it’s politically unsavoury.

14 september 2021

We know EVs are better for the planet, Canadians to choose cars that suit
but how much better? those day-to-day needs. Then, for the
Using a zero-emissions vehicle or giv- other 10 per cent of their driving
ing up a car altogether is the most effec- life—say, the rare drive to a cottage—
tive thing a person can do to reduce they may consider car-rental or ride-
their carbon footprint, other than hav- sharing programs.
ing fewer children.

Along with expense, one common THIS IS THE MOST
reason for EV hesitancy is the lack of EFFECTIVE WAY TO
charging stations. REDUCE YOUR CARBON
We have enough stations to handle
the number of EVs on the road today, FOOTPRINT.
but not enough if we were to see more
mainstream adoption. But, also, the The Automotive Parts Manufactur-
vast majority of charging happens at ers’ Association is spearheading a
home: you plug in your car at night new project backed by 335 compa-
and in the morning you’re good to go. nies to create an all-Canadian EV. Is
that a promising sign?
Good to go how far? It’s exciting to see new projects getting
That depends on battery power, attention and funding. But I also want
which varies from vehicle to vehicle. to point out that we have been manu-
Overall energy capacity of batteries has facturing electric buses in Canada for
improved, though. The 2015 Nissan over half a decade. Maybe they’re not
Leaf, which is an entry-level EV, got as sexy as a Canadian Tesla, but if we
about 200 kilometres on one charge. want to talk about change, transit is the
Now it’s about 250 to 300 kilometres, way forward. People buy cars one by
so enough for day-to-day life but not one, but cities buy public transit vehi-
enough for hopping on the highway cles in mass quantities. With public
and heading out of town. transit, we’re not talking about a curve
that goes up in tiny increments; we can
That’s no small issue, given our see the line shoot up.
national enthusiasm for the great
Canadian road trip. Josipa Petrunic is the executive
Actually, 90 per cent of driving life is director and CEO of the Canadian
short-range trips—commuting to Urban Transit Research and
work, driving to Costco, going to a Innovation Consortium.
soccer game. We need to convince

rd.ca 15

reader’s digest

POINTS TO PONDER

I liken it to a bell being rung,
combined with a skeleton
being rattled, combined
with a nerve being touched.

–Professional storyteller Ivan Coyote,

DESCRIBING THE APPEAL OF LETTER CORRESPONDENCE

These were 215 beautiful, trusting little spirits who (COYOTE) EMILY COOPER PHOTOGRAPHY; (TAYLOR) HOWLING TURTLE LABEL
believed in their hearts that it would all work out.

–Senator Mary Jane McCallum, IN A SPEECH AFTER UNMARKED CHILDREN’S GRAVES WERE FOUND

AT THE KAMLOOPS RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL

I LOVED BEING MICHELLE DUBARRY, BUT
MICHELLE ISN’T AROUND ANYMORE.

–Richard Alldread, ON WHY, AFTER NEARLY 70 YEARS,

HE MAY BE READY TO RETIRE HIS TRAILBLAZING DRAG PERSONA

NORMAL NEVER I’m making up
REALLY WORKED for lost time.

FOR ME. –Julian Taylor, ON HIS FIRST

–Disability advocate Karin JUNO NOMINATIONS,
Hitselberger, EXPLAINING WHY AFTER RECORDING FOR MORE

SHE HOPES VIRTUAL MEETINGS AND THAN TWO DECADES
EVENTS WILL CONTINUE TO

FLOURISH AFTER THE PANDEMIC

16 september 2021

It’s difficult to have conversations about how
sad we are, or how we’ve gotten here, when

we have politicians who’ve put forward
legislation that says, “You’re not welcome here.”

–Ginella Massa, host of Canada Tonight,

SPEAKING ABOUT ISLAMOPHOBIA AFTER A LONDON, ONT. MAN
TARGETED A MUSLIM FAMILY OF FIVE, KILLING FOUR

(MASSA) COURTESY OF CBC; (COUPLAND) RANDOM HOUSE CANADA 2021; (CATTRALL) G HOLLAND/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM WE’RE USED IT’S A LITTLE BIT OF
TO LEFTOVERS. JUSTICE FOR INDIGENOUS
IT’S THE CURSE
OF BEING GEN X. PEOPLE, BUT NOT
ENOUGH. IT’S JUST
–Writer Douglas Coupland,
THE BEGINNING.
COMMENTING ON HOW, BECAUSE OF
DISTRIBUTION TIMING, MANY PEOPLE HIS AGE –Student Dishanie Fernando,

WERE GIVEN THE ASTRAZENECA VACCINE COMMENTING ON THE TOPPLING OF A STATUE OF

RYERSON UNIVERSITY NAMESAKE EGERTON

RYERSON, WHO HELPED CONCEIVE THE RESIDENTIAL

SCHOOL SYSTEM

It turns out that even if the wine
is natural, the label is very

minimalist and there’s all kinds
of bits floating at the bottom, if
you drink a million glasses you

still get a hangover. Rip off.

–Writer and comedian Monica Heisey

When I was a teenager, I didn’t appreciate
the mountains and the orcas. But now,
they’re bringing me back.

–Kim Cattrall, DESCRIBING WHAT SHE LIKES ABOUT HER

VANCOUVER ISLAND, B.C. HOME

rd.ca 17

reader’s digest

HEALTH O VER THE LAST year and a half,
Canadian dentists have reported
Back to an increase in tooth fractures,
the Grind damaged fillings and jaw soreness
among their patients. While it’s too
Teeth gnashing may be early to say for sure, some experts
on the rise, but there are surmise that the stress of the pan-
demic has caused an uptick in the
long-term solutions number of people who grind their
teeth and clench their jaw—behaviours
BY Allison Baker known as bruxism.

illustration by valéry goulet Bruxism is involuntary, can happen
while a person is awake or asleep and
18 september 2021 can lead to pain and tightness in the
jaw, neck or face, as well as tooth sen-
sitivity. Because of this, bruxers are
three times more likely than non-
bruxers to experience headaches.

There’s a strong link between high
levels of stress or anxiety and bruxism—
particularly when it comes to daytime
clenching. While more research needs
to be done to pinpoint the correlation,
some studies suggest that tooth clench-
ing while awake may be a coping mech-
anism, much like how some people
bite their nails or find themselves tap-
ping their feet.

Stress isn’t the only cause. If you
drink an excessive amount of caffeine
(more than six cups a day) or alcohol—
both of which trigger jaw muscles to
hyperactivate—you’re also more prone
to bruxism. In fact, it’s been found that
heavy alcohol consumption (three or
more drinks a day) doubles a patient’s
chance of grinding their teeth and
clenching their jaw while sleeping.

One theory about bruxism is that physiotherapist can alleviate pain by
humans first began to grind their teeth massaging the muscles of the head
at night as part of our ancient fight-or- and face and by using a technique
flight response, triggered by our sympa- called dry needling, where needles
thetic nervous system. are inserted into muscles in the jaw to
release tension.
Gilles Lavigne, a professor in the
faculty of dentistry at the University of AROUND
Montreal, compares this system, which
operates without our conscious aware- 13%
ness, to an internal cuckoo clock: every
20 to 40 seconds, the cuckoo pops out OF PEOPLE BRUX
of the clock face (in this case, deep IN THEIR SLEEP.
sleep) and scans the surroundings for
signs of danger. If there are none, it Karim Meghji, a physiotherapist in
goes back inside, and we continue to Calgary, adds that he’ll also help people
sleep. But if it senses a new smell or with their overall body posture, since
sound, for example, the cuckoo starts leaning into a computer or spending a
to chime, and our muscles, including lot of time on the couch can lead to
those in our jaw, tense in preparation more bruxing. “When people’s heads
to face the threat or run. are sitting forward, their necks are get-
ting stressed and they’re basically sit-
To prevent tooth damage from night- ting in a compressed posture,” he says,
time bruxing, a dentist can prescribe a explaining that this puts pressure on the
personalized mouthguard that pro- neck and jaw muscles, causing them to
tects against wear and tear. However, stay activated—and clenched—when
that doesn’t address the root of the they should instead be relaxed.
problem—whether it’s stress or over-
caffeinating—and it’s possible for While the pandemic has certainly
bruxing to lead to chronic pain or even increased bad posture behaviours,
cause the jaw to freeze into place, a Meghji says there’s been a silver lin-
condition known as lockjaw. ing: patients, with more time on their
hands, have relied less on quick-fix
For this reason, if your bruxing treatments like mouthguards and are
becomes more frequent or painful, more open to the idea of investing in
you should consider taking a holistic long-term changes to their lifestyles
approach to treating it. A psychologi- and mental health.
cal counsellor can help you determine
the source of your stress or anxiety, as
well as assist with cutting down on
caffeine and alcohol. Meanwhile, a

rd.ca 19

reader’s digest

News from the Waist Size Is a (LAPTOP) ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/SETTHAPHAT DODCHAI; (CAT) ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/GLOBALP
Useful Heart-Health
WORLD OF Metric
MEDICINE
Since the 1970s, body
BY Samantha mass index (BMI) has
Rideout been widely used to esti-
mate health risks related
FREQUENT INTERNET USE: to excess body fat. How-
NOT ALWAYS BAD ever, many commenta-
tors argue that we’ve
Spending chunks of your day on the Internet can been overlooking its
be helpful or detrimental for your mental health, limitations. A group
depending upon what you do there. A 2020 Cana- of worldwide experts
dian review linked social-media use to mental dis- released a statement
tress among teens, in part because it can bring on in early 2020 suggesting
a feeling that others look or live better than you doctors should also
do. On the other hand, in a 2021 British study, measure your waist,
seniors who went online at least once a day since BMI alone isn’t
during a pandemic lockdown tended to feel less always a good indicator
depressed compared to those who accessed the of cardiovascular risk.
Internet only once a week or less. The benefits An athletic, muscular
include communicating with family and friends, person could have a
finding inspiration for fun offline activities and high BMI and a healthy
enjoying a quick, feel-good distraction on a rough heart. Conversely, many
day. (Cat video, anyone?) people lose muscle with
age, which could lower
their BMI, despite high
body-fat levels. So while
BMI can be useful, add-
ing waist circumference
to the picture clarifies
your risk profile. Fortu-
nately, waist size tends
to go down with exer-
cise and a healthy
diet—even if your
weight doesn’t.

20 september 2021

A New Treatment Post-Pandemic,
for Arthritic Handwashing Will
Knee Pain Still Matter

(SPILLED MILK) DAVE HILL/EYEEM/GETTYIMAGES.CA; (MAN) DJELICS/GETTYIMAGES.CA Why You A knee replacement can COVID-19 inspired
Shouldn’t Cry help greatly with severe people to wash their
Over Spilled Milk osteoarthritis, but not hands frequently with
everyone is willing or soap to reduce the risk
Scientists have proven able to undergo major of virus transmission—
you’re better off not surgery. There’s now at least at first. Staff at
sweating the small stuff. another option known a Chicago hospital
To simulate the emo- as genicular artery reported washing their
tional effects of daily embolization. For this hands on 75.5 per cent
setbacks—missing a procedure, a specialist of the required occa-
bus, say, or knocking cuts a pinhole in the sions (for example,
over your coffee— patient’s thigh and uses before entering a
researchers showed a thin tube to insert patient’s room) at the
people unpleasant particles that diminish height of the first wave
images. Brain scans abnormal blood flow to in April 2020. By August
revealed that some par- the knee, thus reducing of the same year, they
ticipants’ negative reac- inflammation. The pro- were back to their pre-
tions lasted longer in a cedure takes one to two pandemic compliance
region called the amyg- hours and doesn’t levels of around 55 per
dala than those of oth- require general anaes- cent. Outside of hospi-
ers. The subjects whose thesia nor an overnight tals, it’s likely that the
brain activity went back hospital stay. Most rest of us are sliding
to normal more quickly patients see at least a back into subpar habits,
were more likely to 50 per cent drop in pain as well. Even as COVID
report that they were fre- for at least 12 months. cases subside, there are
quently in a good mood. still reasons to main-
These same people also tain high handwashing
rated their psychologi- standards. These
cal well-being more include preventing the
highly seven years later. spread of the common
cold, diarrhea and
especially the flu, which
remains a major cause
of death.

rd.ca 21

reader’s digest

The Challenges of Going off Fatty Liver DIMITRIS66/GETTYIMAGES.CA
Antidepressants Disease: A Silent,
Deadly Threat
It’s estimated that up to half of the people taking
long-term antidepressants no longer have a medi- Due to increasing obe-
cal reason to continue with them. The way to tell sity levels and an aging
whether you still need these drugs is to stop taking population, fatty liver
them, under a doctor’s supervision, and see what disease is on the rise.
happens. Unfortunately, there’s not much research Around a quarter of
about how to do that safely and successfully. adults have it, often
unknowingly and with-
Many antidepressants cause physical depen- out symptoms. Since it
dence because the brain adjusts to their effects on can progress to perma-
neurotransmitter activity and stops functioning nent liver scarring, can-
normally without them. To give the brain time to cer, or death, people
adjust back again, experts recommend gradually with obesity and diabe-
reducing the dose instead of doing it quickly, tes, who are at high risk,
which can lead to withdrawal symptoms—includ- should get evaluated for
ing dizziness, nausea, tremors and spasms. Short- this condition.
term users might be able to pull this off in as little
as one month, but for long-term users, it can take Proof That Gains
many months or possibly even Come From Pain
longer than a year.
For a JAMA study,
A recent review notes that some patients with
antidepressant-withdrawal lower-extremity periph-
symptoms aren’t easy to dis- eral artery disease—
tinguish from depression- which affects 250 mil-
relapse symptoms. Problems lion people around the
such as low mood, insomnia world—walked slowly
and appetite changes can be enough to avoid blood
caused by either one. Because flow–related pain that
of this overlap, many people comes with the condi-
likely believe they’re relapsing tion, while others pow-
when they’re actually not. One ered through it. After a
way to tell the difference is that year, the latter group
you can often ease withdrawal could walk significantly
by reducing the medication faster and longer.
dosage more slowly, whereas
this won’t work for a relapse.

22 september 2021

MEDICAL MYSTERY

The Lump

His doctor thought he had
a benign cyst—then it grew

to the size of a baseball

BY Luc Rinaldi and climbed aboard. “Every day since,
I’ve thanked God,” he says. “And every
illustration by victor wong day that I see sunshine is a good day.”

R ICHARD DANZER FIRST cheated That attitude has helped Danzer nav-
death in 1962. As a young Amer- igate the choppy waters of aging. Now
ican fighting in the Vietnam War, 79, he’s retired in Delray Beach, Flor-
he was tasked with salvaging a ship ida, after a 50-year career working in
that ran ashore on the island of Phú sales and management in the paint
Quôc. Danzer and 10 fellow soldiers industry. His wife has Parkinson’s dis-
freed the vessel from the beach, but to ease and dementia, and he’s had plenty
save themselves, they needed to brave of health issues himself. In 2017, he
waves nearly four metres tall in a small was diagnosed with bladder cancer.
rubber raft before North Vietnamese While treating that illness, his doctors
forces descended on them. discovered and excised a squamous-
cell carcinoma on his nose—a com-
Danzer didn’t think they’d survive, but mon but aggressive form of skin cancer
against all odds, they reached the ship that appears as a crust and can spread
to other parts of the body if not treated.

rd.ca 23

reader’s digest

Once he was declared cancer-free, he caused by a problematic follicle. And
began attending regular appointments the growth was firm, like a rubber
to make sure he stayed that way. eraser, whereas cysts are usually soft
and gelatinous, like pudding inside a
In the summer of 2018, Danzer water balloon. Nor did the lump have
noticed a small lump in the middle of a foul smell, another telltale sign of a
his back. It wasn’t painful, but over the cyst that results from a buildup of
course of a few weeks, it grew large hair-lubricating fluid under the skin.
enough that he could no longer com- Plus, it had grown faster than most
fortably sleep on his back. When he cysts would have.
reported it to his general practitioner,
the doctor said it was most likely a cyst, WHEN DANZER SAID
perhaps a benign pocket of fatty tissue HE HAD SMOKED FOR
or an inflamed hair follicle—in other 40 YEARS, IT FLICKED
words, something to keep an eye on
but not a cause for panic. A SWITCH IN HIS
DOCTOR’S BRAIN.
The supposed cyst continued to grow
for six months. By December, it was After dismissing that diagnosis,
eight centimetres wide—about the Smirnov thought it might be a lipoma,
size of a baseball cut in half. That wasn’t a common and benign buildup of fat.
all. A sizable dark red crust was also She pushed the lump around with her
developing on Danzer’s leg, like a scab fingers—lipomas shift easily under
but without any inciting scrape. He the skin with slight pressure—but the
asked his daughter, Cheryl, who’d bulge stayed put. It seemed affixed to
moved in with him a few years before, the back of Danzer’s rib cage.
to take a look at his leg and back. “We
both agreed that I’d better get to the Still puzzled, Smirnov asked Danzer
doctor,” he says. about his general health. Had he lost
weight? No, he said. Was he experien-
Danzer’s GP referred him to a der- cing any new issues? Nothing new, he
matologist, Dr. Brittany Smirnov, who reported, but he did have a chronic dry
in turn sent him to a specialist in cough he attributed to smoking a pack
nearby West Palm Beach who could of cigarettes every day for more than
perform Mohs surgery, an exacting 40 years. That discovery flicked a switch
technique to remove cancerous cells in Smirnov’s brain. Skin abnormalities
from skin. Danzer also asked Smirnov are occasionally a sign of lung cancer,
to check out the growth on his back.

Immediately, Smirnov was certain it
was not a cyst. There was no punctum,
the small hole that’s typical on a cyst

24 september 2021

a plausible diagnosis for a long-time was shrinking, too,” says Smirnov. “It was
smoker like Danzer. “One of the areas a really good barometer to tell us how
where lung cancers love to metastasize well the cancer was responding to the
is on the chest wall,” says Smirnov. treatment.”

Smirnov ordered a spiral CT scan of Within two months, the growth was
Danzer’s lungs. The results proved gone, leaving only a skin wound; with
her suspicions were correct: he had a topical solution, that healed within a
stage four lung cancer, and cancerous few days. The chemo lasted several
cells had spread from his lungs to the months, during which time Danzer
tumour on his back. In all likelihood, often felt sick to his stomach and
Danzer’s medical team concluded, he depleted of energy. His daughter fed,
had 18 months to live. comforted and took care of him. “I
don’t know where I would have been
“It was a shock. It didn’t immedi- without her,” he says.
ately register,” he says. Then, when the
news did start to sink in, he “put it in About a year after Danzer first vis-
God’s hands.” ited Smirnov’s office, he was declared
cancer-free yet again. In the summer of
There was a slim chance that, with 2020—the season he wasn’t supposed
the right treatment, Danzer could to live long enough to see—he was
cheat death again. He underwent back to enjoying retirement and spend-
chemotherapy and five rounds of ing time with his daughter, relieved to
CyberKnife treatments, in which a be alive and grateful to Smirnov for
robotic arm zapped his tumour with saving his life. “I’ve exceeded my check-
targeted beams of radiation. Almost out date by a year and a half now,” he
immediately, the lump on Danzer’s says. “I figured, after Vietnam, I was on
back started getting smaller. borrowed time anyway. This just came
as another blessing.”
“As the tumour on his back started
shrinking, we knew his internal tumour

A Necessary Ingredient

All you need is love.
But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.

CHARLES M. SCHULZ

You hand and your mouth agreed many years ago that,
as far as chocolate is concerned, there is
no need to involve your brain.

DAVE BARRY

rd.ca 25

COVER STORY

From donating a kidney to
writing letters to seniors, these incredible

Canadians made a difference

BY Sarah Liss AND The Good Samaritans KARI MEDIG
Christina Palassio Who Found a Stolen
Teddy Bear
26 september 2021
VANCOUVER

When 29-year-old storyboard artist Mara
Soriano thinks of her mother, Marilyn, she
remembers her singing. “She loved karaoke
and cheesy ’80s songs,” Soriano says. “She
sang all the time.” In late 2017, before cancer

reader’s digest

“It was my
mom telling me,

‘The world is
okay, kid.’”

reader’s digest

robbed Soriano’s mom of her voice, The Nature Lover Who ANGELA LEWIS
she recorded a message in English and Saved a 300-Year-Old Tree
Tagalog and preserved it inside a Build-
a-Bear: “You make Mommy so proud. TORONTO
No matter where you are, a part of me
will always be with you. I love you to In the residential neighbourhood of
infinity and beyond.” Humbermede, a massive 300-year-old
red oak presides over the backyard of
After her mother’s death in 2019 at an unassuming bungalow. But three
age 53, that teddy bear became Soria- years ago, when the owner of the house
no’s most priceless possession. When decided to sell, the looming tree was
it went missing during a move last judged a threat to the house’s struc-
July—tucked in a backpack that got tural safety. A neighbour named Edith
stolen in the chaos of unloading the George, who’s been the oak’s advocate
U-Haul van—Soriano was devastated. and protector for more than a decade,
She spent that night frantically rifling collected $430,000 from more than
through dumpsters and scouring 1,000 people. It was enough to con-
alleys in downtown Vancouver. When vince the City of Toronto to match that
her efforts proved fruitless, she took her money to buy the house and transform
hunt to the Internet, sharing photos the property into a park. For George, the
of her lost Mamabear on Reddit and endeavour was simple: she refers to
Instagram, and security footage on the tree as Zhelevo, a nod to her ances-
Twitter. A local CBC reporter picked tral village in Macedonia, and calls it
up the story, and the news made it all “my paradise.” Her hope is to share that
the way to a high-profile Vancouverite: paradise with her fellow citizens.
actor Ryan Reynolds, who encouraged
his 17 million-plus Twitter followers to The Teacher Who
help Soriano, offering a $5,000 reward Returned Lost Diaries
for the keepsake’s safe return.
HAVELOCK, NEW BRUNSWICK
Amazingly, Mamabear made it back
to Soriano’s arms four days later, fer- In 1988, 11-year-old Austin Hutton
ried by some good Samaritans who scrawled a message on his stapled,
recognized the thief from security handwritten diary: “MY DIARY. Top
footage Soriano had shared on social secret. KEEP OUT!” The diary was an
media. Soriano was ecstatic: “I feel like assignment from his Grade 6 teacher,
losing that bear and getting it back was Hugh Brittain, at Havelock Elementary
just my mom telling me, ‘The world is School. While most students took their
okay, kid. You’re going to be fine. I will diaries home at the end of the school
always be with you.’”

28 september 2021

Edith George has
protected the
massive oak for
more than a
decade.

reader’s digest

year, some forgot, and Brittain held on protection mode. First, she walked RÉMI THÉRIAULT
to them—just in case. in a circle, sussing out the situation;
next, she flipped Moore onto her back
Hutton’s diary was one of the 26 that and freed the leash. Then, Clover
Brittain still had when he retired in tried to alert passing drivers. “This
1995. Earlier this year, he posted a mes- dog doesn’t like cars,” says Diane
sage to a local Facebook group hoping Moore, Haley’s mother. “She gets car-
to reunite the notebooks with their sick. But there she was, trying to
owners. And slowly, with the help of a make eye contact with people driving
few friendly sleuths, he did. by. She moved right into the centre
of the road.”
Hutton, now 45 and living in Fort
St. John, B.C., has four children of his Dryden Oatway, a 22-year-old tow-
own. His hands shook when he opened truck driver, spotted the dog, parked
the package from Brittain. He had no his vehicle and rushed to Moore; he
memory of what he had written but and a neighbour promptly called the
was delighted to rediscover the stuff paramedics. Clover then started to
of childhood. Hutton says having his return to their nearby home, looking
diary back gave him a chance not back often to ensure Haley was in
only to reconnect with his former self, good hands. Once she was at her door,
but to show his kids a side of their Clover started barking and wouldn’t
dad they’d never seen before—a young stop until Haley’s father, Randall, and
boy dreaming of buying a bike, gaga 21-year-old sister, Reilly, followed her.
over his school crush and just trying By the time they reached Haley, para-
to figure out life. medics had arrived.

The Dog Who Rescued “All I really remember is waking up
Her Owner in an ambulance and being really
confused,” says Moore. “It was scary!
STITTSVILLE, ONTARIO Thank God for Clover.”

There are good dogs, and then there’s The Moore family doesn’t know
Clover. This past March, the floofy white what caused Haley’s seizure, but thank-
Maremma mix was out for her daily fully, it has not happened again. And
walk with her 25-year-old owner, Haley Clover is just happy that her family is
Moore, when, as the two were about to safe and sound. “As an animal lover,
cross the street, Moore had a seizure I’ve always sensed that animals were
and collapsed. just as extraordinary as humans,” says
Diane. “We feel very blessed to have
While untrained for the situation, her in our lives, and I truly hope she
Clover nevertheless switched into feels the same way.”

30 september 2021

“It was scary!
Thank God
for Clover.”

reader’s digest

The Sanitation Workers men would stop to play with the boy
Who Pulled Off a and chat with the family—at a safe
Birthday Surprise distance, of course. They even started
calling themselves the Wolfpack.
TORONTO
Last September, as Wolfgang’s third
On Friday mornings, three-year-old birthday approached, his family knew
Wolfgang Reader sits on his front porch they wouldn’t be able to throw a party
and waits for the truck to come. Like a because of the pandemic. Wolfgang’s
lot of kids his age, Wolfgang is a big fan grandmother crossed her fingers and
of garbage trucks. He plays with his toy asked the City of Toronto if a garbage
garbage trucks, draws garbage trucks, truck could do a special off-schedule
and wants to be a sanitation worker visit on his birthday. The family was
when he grows up. And the workers who surprised and delighted when not
pass his home on their route couldn’t one but four trucks came clanging
help but notice his enthusiasm. down the street.

“I began to blow the truck’s horn. You “Wolfgang was speechless,” says the
would hear it all the way down the road,” boy’s mom, Julia Wehkamp. The crew
says 32-year-old Feranza Fullwood, brought gifts: hats, colouring books
who goes by D.J. When they could, the and specially made Wolfpack T-shirts.

Wolfgang and one COURTESY OF JULIA WEHKAMP
of his Wolfpack play

together on the
boy’s third birthday.

32 september 2021

Wolfgang even got to honk the horn saved the gift cards to pass along to
of a truck. Wehkamp says he still talks others in need.
about it to anyone who’ll listen.
The Hockey Mom Who
“I have a kid who’s the same age as Donated a Kidney
Wolfy,” says Fullwood. “When I see a
kid who’s really interested in my job, I SEAFORTH, ONTARIO
do my best to ensure he’s happy and
make his day.” Close to a year later, To many families in town, Graham Nes-
Wolfgang is still obsessed with garbage bitt is a hero. For years, Nesbitt man-
trucks—and Fullwood still honks the aged Seaforth’s arena. He’d arrive at the
horn for him every Friday. crack of dawn every day so kids could
lace up and get on the ice before school.
The Cashier Who Inspired He was even out there on snow days.
a Teacher to Pay It Forward
Two of those kids were Ryan and Cal
KAMLOOPS, BRITISH COLUMBIA O’Reilly, who both went on to play
hockey professionally: Cal is now in
Dee-Anna Irwin, a single mom who the American Hockey League, and Ryan
has worked at a dollar store for eight is the captain of the St. Louis Blues.
years, always keeps spare change to When the O’Reilly family heard Nes-
pay for customers’ small costs. She bitt was in need of a kidney transplant,
didn’t think twice about covering the they wanted to help.
bill this past March when Dina Chase,
a high-school teacher, arrived to buy The brothers put out a call for donors.
snacks for her students. “If she’s going Their mom, Bonnie, took things fur-
to make this much of an effort to look ther. She offered to be the donor. “My
out for those kids, it’s the least I can kids have been lucky to have good
do,” says Irwin. fortune and good people in their
lives,” says O’Reilly. “Graham was one
Moved, Chase went on Facebook to of those people.”
ask for suggestions on how to thank
Irwin. Ideas—and donations—poured The successful operation took place
in. When Chase returned to the store, in March 2021, and today both parties
she took nearly $200 in gift cards, three are doing well. No longer tied to a dial-
pages of kind words, a potted plant ysis machine, Nesbitt has been able to
and a heartfelt card. “What I learned,” take up golf again. Bonnie and Nesbitt
says Chase, “is that we need to slow keep in touch, and she’s glad her kidney
down, notice others, value people, gave him a chance to see his grandkids
take the time.” True to form, Irwin has grow up. “It feels really good to give
your good health to someone.”

rd.ca 33

reader’s digest

Allison Young
didn’t want
seniors to be
lonely during
lockdown.

GREG LOCKE The Teen Who Became The Facebook Group
a Pen Pal to Seniors That Brightens People’s
Days With Rocks
CUPIDS, NEWFOUNDLAND
HOPE, BRITISH COLUMBIA
When 13-year-old Allison Young was
given a “good deed” assignment at For France Legere, it was two cats on a
school this past March, she immedi- fence. For Melissa Stevenson, it was
ately thought of the seniors living in the a Mother’s Day message. Stevenson
long-term care facility where her mom, and Legere discovered their Kindness
Rebecca, works as a nurse. She worried Rocks—brightly decorated stones
many were feeling lonely during the inscribed with thoughtful words, sealed
lockdown, and she wanted to cheer against the weather and left at random
them up. “My grandmother lives in spots for strangers to find—in spring
another retirement home, and I like 2019. Their curiosity soon led them to
writing her letters,” says Young. “I know join the Facebook page of their local
she likes getting them, and I thought Kindness Rocks chapter.
other people would, too.”
In pre-COVID times, the group gath-
So she started writing to each of the ered to chat, decorate and hide their
home’s 124 residents. Her letters were stones. While they no longer hide the
simple and cheery: she introduced her- rocks as a group, the practice (and its
self, shared who her mom was, and online home) has remained an essen-
told recipients she hoped to brighten tial point of connection. One of Ste-
their day. She doesn’t remember how venson’s proudest moments, she says,
long it took, but she remembers being came in January, after the community
determined to finish. in nearby Mission, B.C., rallied to sup-
port a transgender youth who’d been
In the end, Young even gained a few bullied at school.
new pen pals. Several residents wrote
back to share their life stories and ask “I did a big set of rocks in the
her about school and her hobbies. colours of the trans flag,” she says, not-
She told them that she loves to sew ing that the group has also produced
and dance. One of the letters she talismans to reflect the Black Lives
received stretched to four pages, tell- Matter movement and LGBTQ pride—
ing her about the letter writer’s former small gifts to be stumbled upon by peo-
career as a doctor and experiences ple who can benefit from the message
travelling the world. Young loved of support. “It pulls people out of their
reading the responses. “Older peo- shell,” says Legere. “It finds people
ple,” she says, “have the best stories when they really need to be found, or
and advice.” heard, or seen.”

rd.ca 35

reader’s digest

The Driver Who Rodney. “I could’ve lost my life, too.”
Prevented a Suicide The man and his family have since
been in touch with Rodney to thank
MONTREAL him for his courage. “I just know I was
in the right place at the right time,”
At 8:30 a.m. on the morning of Septem- says Rodney. “And I just did it.”
ber 23, 2020, Rodrick Rodney, then 46,
was driving home after a night shift at The Family Who Spread
a warehouse. He was stopped at a red Cheer with Birdhouses
light at an overpass when he saw a man
in a car ahead of him exit the passenger GEORGETOWN, ONTARIO
side door and run towards a railing,
which overlooks a busy expressway This past February, hundreds of
below. Rodney realized the man was charming candy-coloured birdhouses
going to jump. He didn’t think, just appeared in parks, schoolyards and
moved, shouting one word over and outside the windows of long-term care
over: No, no, no! homes. The surprise was the master-
work of the aptly named Champ fam-
Today, Rodney doesn’t remember ily: after seeing how his wife, Carol,
how he made it from his truck to the was buoyed by the birdhouses he
man, but an onlooker told him he gave her for Christmas, Jamie Champ
moved so fast she couldn’t tell if he was decided he should do the same for his
running or flying. The man was sitting neighbours, too.
on the railing, and just as he began to
let himself go, Rodney grabbed his Along with their daughter, Madison,
shirt collar. “His shirt started tearing the couple spent the next few weeks
off,” remembers Rodney. “While I’m building the small wonders, each one
pulling up, it’s leaving my hand. So I decorated with inspirational words
leap up and grab his pants. Now I am (“smile,” “go for a walk” and “we’re in
dangling over the highway, trying to this together”). The Champs then set
pull him up.” out around 10:30 p.m. to surreptitiously
install all 201 houses around town.
Luckily, two quick-acting bystanders Anything to help lift spirits during a
rushed to help Rodney, and he was hard year.
able to pull the other man to safety.
“That man could’ve lost his life,” says

New Perspective

A half-knitted shawl left on the coffee table isn’t a mess; it’s an object of art.

STEPHANIE PEARL-McPHEE

36 september 2021

MODERN ROMANCE If you like getting angry
at the way someone
turns a doorknob,
marriage may be right
for you.

— @BOOMBOOMBETTY

Labourers of Love
I’ve come across so
many of the same peo-
ple on dating apps over
the years that I’ve
started to see them as
co-workers.

— ANNE SUNDELL, writer

“Honey, if you don’t mind, I’d prefer to keep the It’s crazy to think that my
details of our marriage more analog than digital.” boyfriend existed and
had a life before we met.
SUSAN CAMILLERI KONAR I once gave my husband because she wanted to How did he live without
the silent treatment use that time to look at me for all those years?
for an entire week, at her phone.
the end of which he — @ISABELASERAFFIM
declared, “Hey, we’re — @THECATWHISPRER
getting along pretty Financial Savvy
great lately.” Her: Are you going to I moved in with my girl-
walk around all day friend after one year of
— BONNIE MacFARLANE, without a shirt on? dating. People say we’re
Me: Just giving you rushing in, but we’re
comedian a show. both so in love with sav-
Her: Can I change ing $900 per month.
My wife just got mad at the channel?
me for fast-forwarding — @MONDAYPUNDAY
through a commercial — @XPLODINGUNICORN
Send us your original
jokes! You could earn $50
and be featured in the
magazine. See page 7 or
rd.ca/joke for details.

rd.ca 37

LIFE LESSON

How to keep
the flame

The burning in
your intimate

Sparkrelationships

BY Courtney Shea Before the world went into lockdown,
they were about to book a dream get-
illustration by tiffany dang away, and were deciding between
Egypt and Turkey. “For us, trips have
UNTIL THE PANDEMIC HIT, travel was always been a way to break out of our
a big part of Briony and Ben’s relation- everyday routine and deepen our con-
ship. Exploring new places is a shared nection,” says Briony. “We’re having a
passion for the Toronto couple, who great time, but we’re also stockpiling
are in their 30s and have been together happy times to look back on, almost
for nearly six years. They’ve taken road like treasured objects.”
trips across the U.S., explored the wilds
of Northern Ontario and spent two This collection of fond memories
weeks trekking across Japan. served them well when, instead of
embarking on their latest adventure,

38 september 2021

reader’s digest

reader’s digest

they became one of the many Cana- since-disproven) predictions of a post-
dian couples who rode out the pan- pandemic baby boom and condoms
demic from their couch. “Of course, being almost as hard to come by as
I’m grateful for the companionship toilet paper.
and the fact that we were able to stay
safe and work from home,” says Briony. More than a year later, though, and
Still, being holed up in their downtown the honeymoon appears to be over,
apartment and in each other’s space with many couples complaining of
24/7 is not exactly the stuff of romance monotony and disinterest. “It’s a
novels. They had to make an extra response to the pandemic,” says Cobb,
effort to make sure their relationship “but it’s also the same thing we hear
didn’t suffer. from couples experiencing that classic
relationship rut.”
While the last year put added strain
on many couples, keeping the spark To get back on the road to romance,
going has long been the holy grail of she suggests disrupting your routines.
relationships. There are benefits to Last fall, for example, Briony and Ben
waking up beside the same person decided to recreate the joys of jet-
year in and year out, but such comforts setting by booking a staycation at a
can come at the cost of excitement and hotel in the city. “It wasn’t far from
intensity. After more than a year of where we live, but it felt totally differ-
perpetual Groundhog Day, it’s under- ent,” says Briony. “We played board
standable if your partnership needs a games, watched movies together, slept
little romantic resuscitation. Here are in and didn’t worry about work.”
some tips on how to keep the passion
alive—even after the pandemic. A romantic mini-getaway is an
appealing option, but your new activ-
New Is the New Hot ity could just as easily be birdwatching
or basket weaving. Science tells us that
In the early months of COVID-19, many dopamine levels—our brain’s reward
couples experienced something akin system—increase dramatically when
to a honeymoon period, says Rebecca we engage in new experiences. “The
Cobb, a psychology professor at Simon point is not to do something explicitly
Fraser University who has been study- sexy or romantic,” says Cobb. “It just
ing the pandemic’s effects on romantic has to be unfamiliar.”
relationships. The unknowns and
heightened stakes may have wreaked Just Do It
havoc on our nervous systems, but for
some people it also facilitated more A close bond may translate into physi-
intimacy—hence those early (and cal intimacy, but it isn’t a given, and
that’s nothing to stress over. Vancouver-
based sex therapist Erin Davidson says

40 september 2021

that desire—either a lack thereof or something you care about devoting time
a significant desire gap between two to, and once you’re there it’s a lot of fun.”
partners (meaning one person wants
more sex than the other)—is the most To Improve “We,”
common complaint she hears from her Work on “Me”
clients. “People think desire is some-
thing they should feel spontaneously— In the same UBC study, too much time
your partner comes through the door together was a frequently cited reason
and you’re supposed to want to rip for a lack of lust. Turns out, absence
their clothes off.” really does make the heart grow
fonder—and the loins grow hotter.
In fact, a lot of us (up to 85 per cent “Relationships build intimacy from the
of women and 25 per cent of men) time you spend together,” says Cobb,
experience a more responsive type of “but also from the time you spend out
sexual interest, meaning “the mood”— in the world, having enriching experi-
i.e., the desire to be intimate—often ences and then bringing that energy
only comes along after intimacy has back into the partnership.”
already been initiated. “These people
may feel like, oh, I never want to have Before the pandemic, Briony had
sex—there must be something wrong several social engagements a week—
with me, or something wrong with my regular board-game nights, movie
relationship,” says Davidson. The good dates with friends and cocktails with
news: that is likely not the case. The colleagues. Instead of redirecting the
bad news: you’ll have to work at it. pressure of her reduced social options
toward Ben, she has focused on self-
A study conducted by the University enrichment—to the benefit of them
of British Columbia shows that many both. Effective “spark maintenance,”
Canadians have come to view sex as a explains Cobb, involves nurturing your-
“chore” during the pandemic. David- self, as well as your relationship. People
son herself has assured plenty of cli- must look for fulfillment outside the
ents that it’s okay if sex hasn’t been primary bond with their partner.
their top priority. (And, she adds,
nobody should ever feel like they’re Briony and Ben recently did just that
forcing themselves to have sex.) by adopting a two-year-old Corgi
named Peach. The new puppy parents
For those who do want to want it, it believe she has given them something
may be helpful to think of getting it on fun to focus on—both as a couple and
the same way you think of going to as individuals. Next year, they hope to
the gym or playing an instrument. “You take that dream trip. For now, they’re
may not be feeling very keen about it happy taking Peach for a walk around
in the lead-up,” says Davidson, “but it’s the block.

rd.ca 41

reader’s digest

HEALTH

The bacteria in your
intestines affects

whether you’ll have
allergies, your risk
of depression and
even how well your
medication works.
Here’s what you should
know about your gut

microbiome.

BY Vanessa Milne

illustrations by kevin moran

rd.ca 43

reader’s digest

A DECADE AGO, Kaitlyn, a 28-year-old IBS isn’t something that can be cured
support worker living in Ontario, had but, rather, managed through lifestyle
become very ill. She had painful con- changes. A dietitian suggested to Kaitlyn
stipation and was contracting fevers that the bacteria that lived in her intes-
and losing weight. “If I ate too much, I tines—collectively known as the gut
would vomit,” she says. microbiome—might be out of balance,
contributing to her condition. She rec-
After tests ruled out Crohn’s disease ommended Kaitlyn take probiotics—
and colitis, Kaitlyn’s family doctor pills that contain specific strains of
diagnosed her with irritable bowel bacteria—to help put things in order.
syndrome, a chronic disorder that
causes cramping, pain and bloating After only a few days of taking the
along with constipation or diarrhea. probiotics, Kaitlyn felt a lot better. “The
pain and fevers went away, and I was
able to eat without getting sick,” she
says. Although she still needed to
avoid specific foods that trigger her
condition, she gained back some of
the weight she had lost.

But probiotics don’t work for every-
one, and we don’t really know why.
Although the state of our gut microbi-
ome impacts many facets of our phys-
ical and mental health, scientists have
had the technology to study it for only
the last 15 years. That said, discoveries
are being made every year. Here’s what
we know about the gut, how to tell if it’s
out of balance, and how to make it as
healthy as possible.

How does a gut
microbiome form?

Imagine a jar of fermented food, like
sauerkraut, which is full of bacteria. In
the case of the cabbage that transforms
into this dish, the bacteria that already
live on the cabbage flourish when you
cover it in brine and put it into a sealed

44 september 2021

container. Inside that oxygen-deprived like any thriving ecosystem, your gut
space, those bacteria break down the is healthy when it’s diverse, with
components of the food—like carbo- hundreds of different types of bacte-
hydrates—and release acid, which gives ria flourishing.
sauerkraut its tangy flavour. A similar
process happens inside your intes- Two of the most important types of
tines every time you eat: bacteria break bacteria in a gut system are Firmicutes
the food down, transforming it into and Bacteroidetes, which feast on
crucial vitamins, amino acids, chemi- dietary fibre and break down complex
cals and, yes, gas. carbohydrates. Both of them also churn
out short-chain fatty acids, microscopic
All those bacteria start colonizing compounds that help maintain the
you the minute you’re born. Babies integrity of the gut wall. (That barrier
who are born vaginally have different is supposed to be porous in order to let
microbiomes than those who are born nutrients through, but if it’s too porous,
by C-section, because the former are that can lead to inflammation.) They
exposed to more of their mother’s bac- also have anti-inflammatory proper-
teria. After that, you pick up more ties and can promote brain health.
bacterial strains from breast milk, your
house, the environment outside, con- LIKE ANY THRIVING
tact with other people, the food you eat ECOSYSTEM, YOUR GUT
and even the family dog.
IS HEALTHY WHEN IT
By the age of three, your microbi- CONTAINS A DIVERSITY
ome has pretty much settled into how
it will look when you’re an adult. The OF BACTERIA.
different types of bacteria that live in
your gut help you digest food, but You want to feed those two types
they also impact other aspects of your well, because if there’s not enough
body, as well, including your immune food in your system, they’ll turn to
system, your brain and your cardio- their secondary source: you. “They will
vascular health. actually start to eat your gut mucus,”
explains Gibbons. If that happens,
What bacteria are in my gut? many bacteria in your gut that
wouldn’t bother you with an undis-
“Your gut is like its own ecosystem,” turbed gut surface will suddenly be
says Sean Gibbons, a microbiome seen as outside agents from your
researcher and assistant professor at immune system, setting off a response
the Institute for Systems Biology in
Seattle. “It’s warm, humid and wet—
like a rainforest.” And, he explains,

rd.ca 45

reader’s digest

that can lead to inflammatory bowel reports that probiotics can help some
disease and other gut problems. of them feel better.

SIGNS YOUR GUT Your medications
IS OUT OF BALANCE aren’t working

You have a stubborn The medicines doctors prescribe don’t
bowel condition always work, and in some cases, the
gut microbiome may be to blame. Just
Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis— like microbes break down the fibre
known together as inflammatory bowel and starches in our food, they can also
disease—cause inflammation and break down pharmaceuticals, making
breaks in the lining of the intestines, them act unpredictably.
leading to pain, diarrhea and weight
loss. About one in 150 Canadians has RESEARCHERS HAVE
IBD, and according to Dr. Eugene Chang, FOUND THAT THE GUT
director of the Microbiome Medicine
Program at the University of Chicago, MICROBIOME CAN
its exact cause is still unknown. He AFFECT THE PROGRESS
says, however, that researchers think
affected people are genetically predis- OF SOME CANCERS.
posed to have an overactive immune
system, and that their microbiome In fact, a 2019 study from research-
changes in subtle ways to prefer bac- ers at the Yale University School of
teria that thrive in that inflammatory Medicine looked at 271 drugs taken
environment. “Those bacteria further orally and found that the gut microbi-
activate the immune system, and it’s a ome affected two thirds of them, with
vicious cycle that eventually triggers the bacteria consuming about 20 per
IBD,” explains Chang. cent of their active ingredients. That
means, for example, that if you have
IBS, which is much more common too much Eggerthella lenta—a bacte-
and affects up to 11 per cent of peo- rium found in about a third of us—the
ple worldwide, shares many of the commonly prescribed digoxin might
same symptoms as IBD but without not help your heart disease symptoms.
the inflammation and ulcerations.
Like IBD, the exact cause of IBS isn’t This effect on medicine has even
clear, but studies have shown differ- larger implications for cancer treatment.
ences in the microbiome of IBS Recently, researchers found that the gut
patients—and there are anecdotal microbiome can affect the progression

46 september 2021

INGREDIENTS OF A HAPPY GUT

The Outdoors
Mingling with
nature exposes
you to healthy

bacteria.

A Pet The
Kids raised in Mediterranean
homes with
animals have Diet Eating
more complex fruits, veg,
microbiomes. whole grains
and lots of fibre
Breastmilk feed important
It’s essential for
gut and brain acids.
development
Probiotics
in babies. There’s evidence
they help people

with irritable
bowel syndrome.

rd.ca 47

reader’s digest

of some types of cancer, and that it also There’s some evidence from humans,
affects who responds to immunother- too: for a study two years ago, Belgian
apy and bone marrow transplants. researchers gave people who had insu-
lin resistance and were overweight or
All of the above has given birth to a obese a bacterium that’s found to be
new field: pharmacomicrobiomics, the more common in the guts of lean
study of how your gut microbiome men. Similar to the mice experiment,
affects a drug’s actions. In 10 to 15 years, the new bacteria lowered participants’
your doctor may be able to test your insulin resistance, and they lost more
microbiome through a stool sample weight and fat than a placebo group.
and then modulate the dose—or pos-
sibly prescribe a probiotic—to make MICE WHO RECEIVE
your pills work better. And clinical tri- STOOL TRANSPLANTS
als are currently investigating whether
cancer patients are more likely to sur- FROM DEPRESSED
vive if they’re given tailored probiotics, HUMANS GET
a special diet or a fecal transplant—a
small bit of poop from someone else DEPRESSED, TOO.
that could reset your gut microbiome.

You struggle You’re depressed
with your weight
We think of mood disorders as originat-
“Two decades ago, we all thought ing in the brain, but it appears your gut
that obesity and metabolic disorders can be a source of them, as well. A 2019
were just how much you ate,” says study found that people with depression
Chang. “But it turns out that the gut had fewer Coprococcus and Dialister
microbiome seems to play a really than most people, and other research
important role.” has found that mice who receive stool
transplants from depressed humans
The connection is clearest in mice: get depressed, too.
when researchers from the Washing-
ton University School of Medicine So could changing someone’s gut
transplanted stool samples from obese microbiome improve their mental
and thin people into the rodents, the health? The research is still emerging,
animals who received fecal transplants but a 2017 Australian study found
from the obese participants gained promising results. It looked at people
more weight and put on more fat than with major depression who were on
the ones who received them from the medication or therapy. Half of the par-
healthier participants, even when the ticipants kept their treatment regimes
mice all ate the same low-fat diet.

48 september 2021