Dr. Silvana Spadafora, a long-serving Sault Area Hospital oncologist, has been awarded a King Charles III Coronation Medal for her medical services to Sault Ste. Marie.
“For her dedication to accessible health care, oncological services, and health education, she has distinguished herself in the community as a dependable pillar for her excellence in the sector,” a proclamation from the monarch says.
Prior to receiving the award, Spadafora received a Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal for her work in 2022.
Sault Liberal incumbent Terry Sheehan presented her with the King’s Coronation Medal.
“I was informed in March. I was surprised. I was excited. The first thing I did was share the news about the King’s Coronation Medal with my family and so we celebrated as a family,” Spadafora told SooToday.
To be a health-care professional of any kind can be rewarding but also demanding and stressful. An oncologist is the person who informs a patient ‘you have cancer.’
Oncology requires the specialist to direct a cancer patient through radiation and chemotherapy and it often results in having to tell a patient their condition is terminal.
How does a doctor deal with that daunting task?
“Over the years I've been very, very fortunate in having strong family support and having very strong support from my colleagues. As oncologists we're a very tight group.
"We know each other from across Canada. We meet often. We email, we phone often. And so I've always felt supported,” Spadafora said.
However, oncology isn’t always bad news, Spadafora said.
“I'm happy to say that for every one time that there's something that doesn't turn out the way that I want or my patient wants, I have 10 or 15 examples of cancer survivors within the community. I can't go anywhere in this community without running into someone that I've treated successfully.
"Every day I'm reminded of the good work that we can do here in the Algoma District Cancer Program.”
Cancer research in recent years has led to more cancer survivors, Spadafora said.
“They're living longer. They're living healthy. They're out there, they're contributing and they're able to enjoy themselves even after the diagnosis. I'm happy to say that I do discharge patients from the clinic to go on to have nice, happy, healthy lives on a regular basis.”
Born and raised in the Sault, Spadafora was a Mount St. Joseph College graduate before going on to study medicine.
“I used to watch Marcus Welby, M.D. and all those old medical shows. As a child, whenever I used to play around the house, I was always taking care of my dolls and taking their temperature,” she recalled with a chuckle.
That caring nature, as well as intelligence and curiosity, followed Spadafora into her adulthood.
“When I got into school, the science and the biology of it all was fascinating for me. It was an easy fit for me.”
Spadafora completed her Bachelor of Science, medical school studies and oncology training at the University of Ottawa.
She returned to the Sault and has practiced oncology at SAH in January 1994.
Spadafora has witnessed many positive changes while working at the Sault and area’s biggest hospital over the years.
“I’ve enjoyed seeing northern Ontario get a medical school, the new hospital for the Sault, getting the radiation bunker, getting the research team to continue working in the cancer clinic and recruiting new colleagues to the cancer clinic.”
Spadafora described all those developments as “huge.”
She also served as SAH's chief of staff from 2017 to 2023.
Among doctors recently recruited to SAH are Dr. Michela Febbraro, Spadafora’s daughter.
Febbraro, also an oncologist, works alongside her mother at the hospital.
Dr. Jeff Curran, Febbraro’s husband, is another recent medical recruit. He works in SAH’s Intensive Care Unit.
“I’m extremely proud of them,” Spadafora said.
She said she enjoys seeing younger professionals join the SAH team.
“I love to see the fresh infusion of ideas. I like having that fresh blood, bringing new energy, new ideas, new styles of doing things and being able to have it right here in the clinic with my daughter is an added bonus.”
Spadafora said she is blessed.
“I take nothing for granted, even bad days. I try to learn something from each interaction, from each patient and from each person I meet along the way.”