BY BOB ZIMMER
Prince George-Peace River-Northern Rockies MP
As I am sure many of you have heard, my friend and colleague Todd Doherty, Member of Parliament for Cariboo-Prince George, recently suffered a health scare that for a time left his family unsure if he was going to make it.
During emergency surgery to remove his gallbladder, Todd stopped breathing before being stabilized. After surgery, there were more complications as a result of an infection and pneumonia.
When I heard the news I was shocked. We had just seen each other at the B.C. Natural Resource Forum in Prince George and there were no indications that anything was wrong.
How soon life can change!
After the initial shock, my thoughts went immediately to his wife Kelly and their four adult children Joshua, Kaitlyn, Kassi and Jordan. If there is one thing I know for certain about Todd, it is the love he has for his family, and the close bound that they all share.
I am pleased to say that Todd has since been released from the hospital and is now recovering at home with a new sense of purpose. He’s been given a precious second chance and I know that he will use it well.
As Todd said in his social media post about his hospitalization, his health scare is an important reminder to all of us to not only focus on work and others, but to also take time to focus on ourselves and our health.
Our lives can be stressful, with so many expectations from so many people, but none of that matters if you are gone.
I have seen Todd rise from a nervous nomination candidate to Conservative candidate to a seasoned Member of Parliament passionate about our region as well as important issues like post-traumatic stress disorder. We not only share a riding border and a riding office in Prince George, but he has also become a good friend and an important voice for our region and for our country.
I was honoured to be able to rise in the House of Commons during the first week back in Ottawa since the Winter Break to offer Todd support on behalf of all Members of Parliament as he recovers.
While it is a positive sign that he is now home, he is not out of the woods yet, and I ask that you please keep him in your thoughts and prayers.
Todd, as I said in my speech, take the time you need to get well. I love you brother and I’ll see you soon.
