As a Grade 5 student at North Shuswap Elementary School in Celista, B.C., Liam Smith was known for his confident, caring and courageous personality.

The affable youngster made a big mark on his community in only a short time. After a tragic accident claimed Liam’s life, his classmates struggled to process the loss of their friend. As part of their healing process, the students wanted to honour Liam with a special project.

Jill is blond, fit and full of energy. She often wears her hair in a bouncy ponytail. But there is a sadness around Jill’s eyes that somehow conflicts with the spring in her step. 

Everyone should have a voice in health-care decisions, not just health-care providers – on that point, cancer survivor David Durksen is adamant.

Twenty years ago, David was living in Victoria and on time for a routine doctor’s visit. When he arrived, David’s doctor announced he’d had several cancellations and was going to do something he rarely had the chance to do any more.  He reviewed David’s complete medical history.

A psychiatrist who has worked with challenging patients for 17 years without one violent incident might be excused for forgetting all safety protocols when a teenage patient suddenly attacked him.

Dr. Michael Ocana learned many lessons that day, six months ago, and he has been sharing them with his colleagues in hopes of helping them avoid the potential negative consequences of such an event. He also hopes to help them avoid a similar situation.

It’s Valentine’s Day and Cupid’s arrow will strike far and wide. So let’s take advantage of this love-themed month to debunk a few myths about sex and older adults.

Sexual feelings do not disappear as you age

There are many taboos around sex and older adults. One such myth is that older people should not, cannot, or would not want to have sex.

Two weeks before his 71st birthday, Les Fiedler suffered a heart attack while playing pickleball in his community of Creston.

Thankfully, his friends and family knew how to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and how to use the facility’s automated external defibrillator (AED) machine – a medical device that can analyze the heart’s rhythm and, if necessary, deliver an electrical shock, or defibrillation, to help get the heart back in a regular rhythm.