RemembRance
A different kind of loss: A tribute to Dr Clyde Hertzman (1953-2013) Robin C Williams BSc MD FRCPC, Jean M Clinton BMus MD FRCPC; Members of the Early Years Task Force, Canadian Paediatric Society
E
very now and then we expericold wind pounding at the windows, ence a loss in our professional snow falling and an erudite crowd in and work circles that somehow seems attendance, including the Governor tougher and deeper than others, and General and Clyde’s partner Marcy so untimely it takes our breath away. Cohen. Clyde was at the top of his And somehow the rituals of mourngame. His broad-reaching and convining that help us through the losses in cing dissertation emphasized that the our personal and family lives are not early years do matter and are a deteravailable to us in our work worlds. minant of lifelong health and well-beMuch is being written about ing. He brought the understanding of Dr Clyde Hertzman, our remarkable cellular biology to the story of a sucfriend and colleague who died sudcessful society, and created a buzz and denly in February in the United excitement around his passion for Kingdom at the age of 59. Clyde’s curmeasurement. rent position was Director of the Clyde introduced us to many Human Early Learning Partnership new concepts, including biological Dr Clyde Hertzman (HELP) at the University of British embedding, emphasizing how the Columbia (Vancouver, British Columbia). The reach of his work and environmental experiences of early childhood in families and ideas extended beyond academia to the grassroots of national and communities become hardwired into the brain. “Early in life, international audiences. the environment talks to genes and the genes listen,” he wrote There are multiple postings in online discussion boards, in local (1). Similarly, any of us who were lucky enough to experience and national newspapers and in medical journals. ‘Google’ his name Clyde through his teaching, his writings or his lectures have and pages of tribute entries return. Reflections have come from polhad our neuronal connections biologically and indelibly altered. iticians, journalists, university and medical school deans and profesHis humility coupled with his vibrant curiosity made him very sors, leaders of professional organizations, advocacy groups and special to work with. Clyde has, in a most wonderful way, ‘gotnongovernmental organizations – pretty well all the players, instituten under our skin’. tions and organizations in Canada, and beyond, who care about So the loss of Clyde feels like a tsunami for those of us working young children and who have shared Clyde’s journey and work on on the human development agenda – it’s a hole in our universe. the human development agenda. So too has the Canadian Paediatric And it will continue to manifest itself in the absence of his voice Society (CPS) posted its words of respect and tribute for the contriin the multiple conversations we shared, the silence from the butions Clyde has made internationally, nationally and locally. Most podium and the empty chair at the panel table. The loss of his recently, he worked with our CPS Early Years Task Force to help intellectual horsepower, his different, creative way of looking at develop our strategy, infusing his brilliance and enthusiasm for and measuring the world, and his ability to take complexity and opportunities to make a better world for Canada’s children. He libtransform these complex ideas into brain butterscotch is immeaserally shared his ideas, his contacts and his wisdom to help us craft urable. We know that his impact will be felt by generations of the next steps in this long journey. children around the world forever. He collaborated with the CPS Early Years Task Force just a So this is the ‘now and then’ in our professional careers when, week before his death and spent a morning in early December with like William Wordsworth in Surprised by Joy, we instinctively turn us at HELP, where we brainstormed the options, the strategies and at a moment of early childhood success to look for Clyde – for his the direction. He had recently learned of, and shared in confidence, leadership, wisdom and enthusiasm, then we realize he is no longer his Order of Canada appointment and, apart from being delighted with us. We will repair, we will rebuild and refocus, but we will at the recognition, was contemplating how to use this new platform remember this different kind of loss. to shine a brighter light on early child development. In November 2010, he was named CIHR’s Health Researcher of REFERENCE the Year, and he delivered a phenomenal lecture at Ottawa’s 1. Hertzman, Clyde. The significance of early childhood adversity. Paediatr Child Health 2013;18:127-8. National Gallery. It was one of those magical nights with a bitter Correspondence: Dr Robin Williams, c/o Canadian Paediatric Society, 2305 St Laurent Boulevard, Ottawa, Ontario K1G 4S8. E-mail [email protected] Accepted for publication February 25, 2013
178
©2013 Pulsus Group Inc. All rights reserved
Paediatr Child Health Vol 18 No 4 April 2013
A different kind of loss: A tribute to Dr Clyde Hertzman (1953-2013) Robin C Williams BSc MD FRCPC, Jean M Clinton BMus MD FRCPC; Members of the Early Years Task Force, Canadian Paediatric Society
E
very now and then we expericold wind pounding at the windows, ence a loss in our professional snow falling and an erudite crowd in and work circles that somehow seems attendance, including the Governor tougher and deeper than others, and General and Clyde’s partner Marcy so untimely it takes our breath away. Cohen. Clyde was at the top of his And somehow the rituals of mourngame. His broad-reaching and convining that help us through the losses in cing dissertation emphasized that the our personal and family lives are not early years do matter and are a deteravailable to us in our work worlds. minant of lifelong health and well-beMuch is being written about ing. He brought the understanding of Dr Clyde Hertzman, our remarkable cellular biology to the story of a sucfriend and colleague who died sudcessful society, and created a buzz and denly in February in the United excitement around his passion for Kingdom at the age of 59. Clyde’s curmeasurement. rent position was Director of the Clyde introduced us to many Human Early Learning Partnership new concepts, including biological Dr Clyde Hertzman (HELP) at the University of British embedding, emphasizing how the Columbia (Vancouver, British Columbia). The reach of his work and environmental experiences of early childhood in families and ideas extended beyond academia to the grassroots of national and communities become hardwired into the brain. “Early in life, international audiences. the environment talks to genes and the genes listen,” he wrote There are multiple postings in online discussion boards, in local (1). Similarly, any of us who were lucky enough to experience and national newspapers and in medical journals. ‘Google’ his name Clyde through his teaching, his writings or his lectures have and pages of tribute entries return. Reflections have come from polhad our neuronal connections biologically and indelibly altered. iticians, journalists, university and medical school deans and profesHis humility coupled with his vibrant curiosity made him very sors, leaders of professional organizations, advocacy groups and special to work with. Clyde has, in a most wonderful way, ‘gotnongovernmental organizations – pretty well all the players, instituten under our skin’. tions and organizations in Canada, and beyond, who care about So the loss of Clyde feels like a tsunami for those of us working young children and who have shared Clyde’s journey and work on on the human development agenda – it’s a hole in our universe. the human development agenda. So too has the Canadian Paediatric And it will continue to manifest itself in the absence of his voice Society (CPS) posted its words of respect and tribute for the contriin the multiple conversations we shared, the silence from the butions Clyde has made internationally, nationally and locally. Most podium and the empty chair at the panel table. The loss of his recently, he worked with our CPS Early Years Task Force to help intellectual horsepower, his different, creative way of looking at develop our strategy, infusing his brilliance and enthusiasm for and measuring the world, and his ability to take complexity and opportunities to make a better world for Canada’s children. He libtransform these complex ideas into brain butterscotch is immeaserally shared his ideas, his contacts and his wisdom to help us craft urable. We know that his impact will be felt by generations of the next steps in this long journey. children around the world forever. He collaborated with the CPS Early Years Task Force just a So this is the ‘now and then’ in our professional careers when, week before his death and spent a morning in early December with like William Wordsworth in Surprised by Joy, we instinctively turn us at HELP, where we brainstormed the options, the strategies and at a moment of early childhood success to look for Clyde – for his the direction. He had recently learned of, and shared in confidence, leadership, wisdom and enthusiasm, then we realize he is no longer his Order of Canada appointment and, apart from being delighted with us. We will repair, we will rebuild and refocus, but we will at the recognition, was contemplating how to use this new platform remember this different kind of loss. to shine a brighter light on early child development. In November 2010, he was named CIHR’s Health Researcher of REFERENCE the Year, and he delivered a phenomenal lecture at Ottawa’s 1. Hertzman, Clyde. The significance of early childhood adversity. Paediatr Child Health 2013;18:127-8. National Gallery. It was one of those magical nights with a bitter Correspondence: Dr Robin Williams, c/o Canadian Paediatric Society, 2305 St Laurent Boulevard, Ottawa, Ontario K1G 4S8. E-mail [email protected] Accepted for publication February 25, 2013
178
©2013 Pulsus Group Inc. All rights reserved
Paediatr Child Health Vol 18 No 4 April 2013
