Unexpected View
A “Below-the-belt” Issue Comes to Light
Top 40 alumnus, W. Brett Wilson, MBA’85, has joined forces with Daryl K. (Doc) Seaman to lead a fundraising campaign to build the largest and best urology centre in Canada, with each donating $5 million to kick-start the process.
By Beth Frank
Did getting prostate cancer change the way you think about health and wellness?
Absolutely. After being diagnosed with quite advanced prostate cancer at the age of 43, I re-evaluated and re-prioritized my whole life and put my health at the top of the list. I pulled back from my role at FirstEnergy and for the first time in a long time concentrated on my health and on getting well. After months of treatment, the cancer was gone. If I could change that experience I wouldn’t because that crisis forced me to do life differently. You’re not doing anyone any favours by working yourself to death.
Are you approaching life differently as a result?
Today I live by a set of very clear priorities. Besides taking care of myself all the time, I’ve learned to find a better balance in life—like making a commitment to nurturing relationships with family and friends. I’ve always been a proponent of lifelong learning and that hasn’t changed. Other priorities in my life obviously relate to business. Whatever I do, I do with passion. I also believe that the most powerful business asset for anyone to have is a reputation for honesty and integrity. There are still people in business that you can trust based on nothing more than their word and a handshake. And of course, I have made a priority of giving back to the community.
How did you get involved with the urology centre initiative?
When I found out that Doc Seaman was committed to being a lead donor for the Urology Institute, I asked if I could stand alongside him. He’s an icon in this community, plus we come from similar backgrounds—both Prairie boys, both engineering grads from the University of Saskatchewan, both prostate cancer survivors. We both see value in stepping up to make a difference in our community by sharing our economic good fortune and, more importantly, our passion and time. But Doc and I also come from different generations. And I thought it was important for people from different generations to lead this initiative because people often think of prostate cancer as an older man’s disease and obviously that’s not the case. These issues are multi-generational.
What do you hope its impact on the community will be?
When I was diagnosed with prostate cancer almost 10 years ago, the options for care in Calgary were limited. So I chose to go to the U.S. for treatment. But now we will have world-class treatment for urological issues available right here in Calgary. In fact, the Southern Alberta Institute for Urology will be the largest and most comprehensive centre in Canada. And since urology issues are on the rise in Alberta, it will mean that others won’t have to do what I had to do and go away for treatment. There will also be a big focus on education and early detection so that the incidences of these kinds of diseases can be reduced over time.
What made you decide to get behind the campaign in such a public, and leadership way?
For many people, “below-the-belt” issues are easy to ignore and hard to talk about. But we do so at great risk to our own health. I often say that information won’t kill you, but ignorance will. By telling my own story, both Doc and I hope to drive home the importance of prevention and early detection, and inspire others to join in supporting a very significant initiative for the community.