A Toronto doctor living with incurable cancer says he's spending what time he has left trying to focus on the positive parts of his life.
Obstetrician Matthew Morton, 39, said he thought he had a "perfect life." He married a woman he met in university and the couple bought a house. He and his wife were building careers, and welcomed a baby girl into their lives.
Then, he said, the "unthinkable" happened. He was diagnosed with incurable brain cancer in 2008.
Morton told CTV Toronto that the diagnosis made him feel pressed for time, and he and his wife rushed to have two more children before his health got worse.
Morton continued to work with his patients and University of Toronto medical students, and was honoured with an award for excellence in residency education. The award had to be brought to his room in a palliative care facility, because he was too sick to leave.
"The most effective teaching moments are those where someone will just sit down with you and share a rare piece of knowledge which you would not acquire elsewhere," Morton said.
Though there have been happy moments, Morton said his diagnosis has forced his family to deal with more serious matters, including writing wills and planning their financial future.
He said his greatest worry is about his children, and "not being able to be there to provide them with guidance and structure and things I feel are important."
His wife, Heidi Wilk, said she can't help asking why.
"Why do bad things happen to good people? It's unfair and it doesn't make sense to me," she said through tears.
"What I try to do is find something good in everything because I have to believe everything happens for a reason."
