W. Gifford-Jones, MD

Prize for Humanity

 

On January 23, 2019, in Toronto, the inaugural W. Gifford-Jones Prize for Humanity was awarded to Ulysses, a service dog.

 

The medical columnist known best by his pen name, W. Gifford-Jones, MD, credits moderate doses of good sense and megadoses of vitamin C and a little rum for living a healthy and vibrant life into his 90s.

“One day I thought ‘God, I’m over 90 years of age now,’ and I could hardly believe it,” said Gifford-Jones, whose real identity is Dr. Ken Walker, a Toronto-based physician who performed surgery into his 70s and saw his last patient on his 87th birthday. As Gifford-Jones, he’s been writing a widely read weekly newspaper column, which appears in about 80 newspapers since 1975.

“It’s been a privilege but also a huge responsibility,” states Walker. Now in his 95^th year, “my time on this planet is limited” he continues, “I’d like to establish The W. Gifford-Jones Prize for Humanity to honour somebody or something that personifies the importance of common sense, a healthy lifestyle and no-nonsense medical advice that I have been sharing for years.”

Last night at The National Club in Toronto, he did just that and awarded the 1st W. Gifford-Jones MD Prize for Humanity to Ulysses, a seeing-eye service dog!

Walker’s point is a sharp one.  That he couldn’t award a human with a prize for humanity is a message he hopes won’t be lost.  A service dog was the easy choice.   Seeing-eye dogs devote their entire lives to the welfare of the people they serve – with boundless love, complete dedication, and well-practiced expertise.  These are the merits of a prize for humanity.

 

Ulysses is a recent graduate of a new program run by the Canadian National Institute for the Blind to meet higher demand for service dogs.  The path to graduation is long and hard, with only the most skilled and mindful dogs making the cut.  The Prize for Humanity comes with a $10,000 contribution to CNIB for the good work they do.

And for all humankind, Dr. Walker hasn’t lost hope.  But he suggests we take a lesson from Ulysses.

Why a W. Gifford-Jones Prize For Service to Humanity?

For 44 years I’ve been writing this medical column. It’s been a privilege, but also a huge responsibility. Now, in my 95^th year, my time on this planet is limited. Consequently, I’d like to establish The W. Gifford-Jones Prize to honour somebody or something that personifies the importance of common sense, a healthy lifestyle and innovative medical thinking that I have been preaching for years.

Years ago I wrote that “The problems of society are caused by supposedly intelligent people who are largely fools.” I haven’t changed my mind as it’s the lack of good sense and faulty lifestyle that are the root cause of many of today’s medical and societal problems.

To emphasize this point I proposed that we could close half the hospitals and fire half the doctors, if people stopped abusing themselves and resorted to behaviour beneficial to their bodies. I admit changing lifestyle is easier said than done. But it’s better than dying unnecessarily at an early age, or suffering for years from chronic diseases that need not happen.

For decades the feedback that I have received from readers has been supportive. Their recurring message is that they like my common-sense approach to medicine and life in general. That I always call a spade a spade, when writing about controversial issues.

Taking a firm stance on vital and controversial issues does not always win a popularity contest. But as one editor advised me years ago, “It’s the job of a medical journalist to make people think” and in so doing make this world a healthier one.

I’m often asked what it’s like writing this medical column. The best reply is that it’s been the best and worst of times.

The first challenge was fighting for women’s reproductive rights. It’s my belief that every child should be a wanted child. Only after lengthy debate did abortion become legal. But the fight to reaffirm the law continues.

This dispute was followed by battling for better pain control. I knew that in England heroin had been available for over 90 years to ease the agony of terminal cancer pain. I considered this a humanitarian cause and wrote a New Year’s resolution column for its legalization.

In my 60 years of writing, I have never received a greater response from readers who had seen a loved one dying in agony. I ended up delivering 40,000 letters of support to the Minister of Health in Ottawa.

But what I thought would be an easy battle was opposed by the Canadian Cancer Society who labelled me a “headline seeking medical journalist”. Some cancer specialists lied when they claimed morphine was as good as heroin in most cases. But suppose you were not one of those cases! Later I travelled to England, did my own research, and proved all the critics were wrong. And heroin, after a five-year battle, was legalized in February 1982, to fight terminal cancer pain.

Now in 2018 thousands of North Americans are dying from an overdose of opioid and illegal drugs. I have written that I believe establishing safe injection sites for addicts is the wrong way to fight this epidemic. And that bringing back capital punishment for those pushing illegal drugs is the better route. The majority of readers agreed with me.

When I leave this planet this column ends. But I hope the Gifford-Jones Prize will inspire others to seek innovative solutions to other vital problems as the world has never been free of them.

What are the criteria for winning the W. Gifford-Jones Prize, a medallion and a financial award? For years I’ve written that rule #1 was to lead a good lifestyle starting early in life. Rule #2, never forget rule #1. And since I write an unconventional medical column, I hope that future prize winners will also find interesting unconventional ways to win this prize. Maybe a good deed? Maybe medical research? Maybe? The reward will simply say “For Service to Humanity”.

I believe the first winner will surprise you. Any regrets? You bet. I wish I had another 60 years to write this column.

 

 

A Seeing-Eye Dog Wins First W. Gifford-Jones Prize for Humanity

 

Readers may ask why I chose to award a Service Dog the first W. Gifford-Jones Prize for Humanity. And wonder why human achievement was ignored. There were plenty of reasons and it required only moments for me to choose a seeing-eye dog.

It’s been aptly said that “A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than you love yourself!”

Harry S. Truman, former President of the U.S., an astute observer of the political scene in Washington, once remarked, “If you want a friend in Washington, buy a dog.” Truman knew a dog would provide unconditional love regardless of what happened during his Presidency.

The prize winner, Ulysses, will devote his entire life to the welfare of one person with decreased vision and protect her from danger. How many people are willing to give up everything in life to care for a single person, even a loved one, for the rest of their lives? It’s a near-impossible assignment.

So, when I recently presented a check to the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) and also placed a medallion around the neck of Ulysses, an animal of uncommon devotion and intelligence, the intention was to send a powerful message. Can humans live up to the high standards and demanding tests this dog has endured?

Consider human history. Animals in the jungle kill only to eat. Humans have been slaughtering each other in the name of religion, the colour of their skin or some other insane reason for over two thousand years. Prejudice, bigotry and horrendous cruelty rage still. I see no end.

How long must we witness young children washed up dead on a Mediterranean beach? Or those scavenging for food, shelter, medical attention, or looking for dead parents where buildings lie in ruins after senseless wars. In our world, evil, destruction, and cruelty have known no bounds. And I hope there is a special place in hell for world leaders who incite this continuing carnage and suffering.

Seeing-eye dogs never commit such sins. Nor will Ulysses, unlike humans, fall victim to “Pillitis”, demanding a pill for every anxiety and every ache and pain. The U.S. Center for Health Statistics reports that for those over the age of 12 years, 13 percent are taking antidepressant drugs! If you don’t think that represents a sick society you’re smoking too much marijuana.

Some humans have also caused me a pile of trouble. For instance, Ulysses will never lie or be associated with human hypocrisy. Years ago I fought to legalize heroin to ease the agony of terminal cancer. Yet critics and major organizations lied repeatedly about its value causing needless suffering. It was only after I visited England, did my own research, and proved they were telling a pack of lies, that heroin was finally legalized in 1984.

Today the hypocrisy continues. Some addiction clinics are providing heroin addicts three injections of heroin daily. Yet in a survey of Toronto’s teaching hospitals, I discovered that there is not one milligram of heroin available for patients dying of terminal cancer pain. This is human hypocrisy at its worst.

Let’s end on a happier note. Seeing-eye puppies begin their training at 16 months of age which lasts 26 weeks. During that time they work in all weather conditions except if it’s too hot.

The course is intensive and requires extremely intelligent dogs. In the end, only about half of those trained become service dogs.

We all encounter a seeing-eye dog occasionally and invariably they kindle respect and admiration. The temptation is to want to pet them. Don’t do it.

Remember, the working dog is bent on protecting his owner at all cost. So pretend he’s not there. Any distraction could result in an accident, for which you would be responsible.

So, considering the incredible devotion of this dog Ulysses and the humanitarian work of the CNIB society, why wouldn’t we want the first Gifford-Jones Prize winner to be a member of the canine race? They are what humans should be. There’s no contest.