Patients and families tied to potential mystery brain disease speak out about neurologist Dr. Marrero
I recently travelled to my hometown of Moncton, N.B., to report on a potentially mysterious brain disease that has people talking and very concerned.
I spent some time with Bonnie Vautour. Her mom Sylvia died this spring and had been part of a cluster of 48 diagnosed with an unknown neurological syndrome. Vautour remembered her mom as being a real spitfire, telling me, “She was so full of life, full of laughter and loved her grandkids. She played baseball almost her entire life and did a lot of stock car racing.â€
Vautour’s mom had a rapid decline, initially showing signs of confusion and memory loss. In just months, she was referred to neurologist Dr. Alier Marrero, who included her in the “cluster.†I asked Vautour about Dr. Marrero and she said: “You couldn't ask for better bedside manners. Very, very friendly. Just super. You couldn't ask for a better neurologist.â€
Over the course of our investigation, we spoke to many other patients and families about their experience with Dr. Marrero.
Carol Clark, who is 77 and living with the unknown syndrome, said “as far as I’m concerned, he's really my neurologist and will always be my neurologist.â€
Steve Ellis, whose 64-year-old father Roger is a patient of Dr. Marrero. He says, “He recognized the trends, and he's the one that did the right thing.â€
Staci whose stepdaughter, Gabrielle Cormier, is one of the youngest patients said, “It's really important that we speak for her and we let people know how appreciative she is of Dr. Marrero and his team.â€
While patients and their families spoke highly of Dr. Marrero, the government has distanced themselves. Dr. Marrero was not included in briefings by the province on June 3 and again on Oct. 27.
This weeks’ briefing came as neuropathology reports tied to those who died in the cluster were made public.
W5 spoke exclusively to the neuropathologist who wrote those reports, Dr. Gerard Jansen. He told me “our work is to give a diagnosis with as much certainty as we can. And to also say what is not there if we don't find something .â€
Dr. Jansen found that all of those he investigated died of normal brain diseases.
He wanted to express this to the families: “I'm not saying that people do not suffer or there is no disease. Absolutely not. These people, all of these eight people, had a disease. It is just that misclassifying them as having a new mysterious disease was not right.â€
We asked Dr. Marrero if he had seen the reports and he said, “I have seen some results and would not like to comment on them. They were reviewing their autopsies; so I don't know exactly what is happening.â€
For Vautour, she’s just hoping for some closure, and told us finally she expects to receive it this week from Dr. Marrero.
“Mum’s already passed, it’s been over five and a half months and we're just getting word of the autopsy results. To me, it was way too long. Way, way, way, way too long.â€
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Conservatives call on Elon Musk to step in after Liberals provide loan to Ottawa-based satellite operator
A $2.14-billion federal loan for an Ottawa-based satellite operator has Canadian politicians arguing about whether American billionaire Elon Musk poses a national security risk.
Sunken superyacht believed to contain watertight safes with sensitive intelligence data
Specialist divers surveying the wreckage of the US$40 million superyacht that sank off Sicily in August, killing seven people including British tech tycoon Mike Lynch, have asked for heightened security to guard the vessel, over concerns that sensitive data locked in its safes may interest foreign governments, multiple sources told CNN.
Myths busted and lessons learned: John Vennavally-Rao on his surgery to reverse his ostomy
Twenty-seven year Â鶹´«Ã½ reporter and anchor John Vennavally-Rao shares his story of what it was like to have an ostomy bag as part of his health-care battle. 'I’m grateful for what it did to extend my life,' he writes in a personal column for CTVNews.ca.
The British Columbia election campaign is set to officially start today, with Lt.-Gov. Janet Austin issuing the writ for the Oct. 19 vote.
A northern Ontario man is facing a $12,000 fine after illegally shooting a moose near the Batchawan River.
Heavy metal exposure could increase cardiovascular disease risk, study finds
A new study is adding to emerging research showing that exposure to metals such as cadmium, uranium and copper may also be associated with the leading cause of death worldwide, cardiovascular disease.
Unusual flippered feet are making their way into the Saint Lawrence River this weekend. Led by underwater explorer and filmmaker Nathalie Lasselin, volunteer divers are combing the riverbed near Beauharnois in Montérégie to remove hundreds of tires that have been polluting the aquatic environment for decades.
Hezbollah targets base near Haifa after Israeli strike in Beirut killed 37, including top commander
The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah announced that it fired a barrage of missiles at a military base deep inside Israel early Sunday following an Israeli airstrike more than a day earlier that killed at least 37 people, including one of the militant group’s senior leaders as well as women and children.
A sea lion swam free after a rescue team disentangled it near Vancouver Island earlier this week.
Local Spotlight
Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.
Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.
An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.
They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.
A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.
Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.
The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.
It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.