The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation is delighted to announce Dr. Wilson Kwong, Palliative Care Physician and Education Site Lead with the Warren-Connelly Palliative Care Clinic, and Aniela Walewicz, Registered Nurse with the Inpatient Oncology Unit, as the recipients of the 2024 Gerald Kirsh Humanitarian Awards.
The Kirsh Family, in partnership with The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation, established the awards as a tribute to the exceptional care that they witnessed while Gerald Kirsh received treatment at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre.
The awards provide patients and their loved ones the opportunity to express their gratitude to a dedicated staff member or volunteer who played an integral role in their cancer journey. At the heart of the award are five core values: compassion, integrity, safety, stewardship, and teamwork.
Dr. Kwong always envisioned a career path where he could focus on his two areas of passion: internal medicine and palliative care.
This vision became a reality. Today, he works with The Princess Margaret’s palliative care team, where he supports patients and their caregivers, and also practices internal medicine in Scarborough.
He first entered the doors of The Princess Margaret while completing a palliative care fellowship at University Health Network (UHN) in 2019.
“A year later, I began a career in palliative care at The Princess Margaret,” said Dr. Kwong. “It’s rewarding to support patients and their families as they navigate palliative care, and I’m grateful to work alongside a compassionate team.”
Dr. Kwong’s nominator praised his exceptional care, saying their family member ‘had the fortune of being a patient of Dr. Kwong.’ They noted he was a constant source of support during the emotional and physical toll of cancer.
The family emphasized that they will be forever grateful to him for genuinely listening and caring for their family member.
“It's an honour and very humbling to receive the Gerald Kirsh Humanitarian Award,” said Dr. Kwong. “Upon reflection, it’s a special feeling to know the simplest interactions can make a big difference. You’re supporting patients and their loved ones during a vulnerable time in their lives.”
“Palliative care takes a team-based approach with every person in the department playing an essential role, and I feel grateful to work alongside an incredible team. The relationships built between healthcare providers, patients and families are special.”
Fellow award recipient Aniela launched a career in nursing in the division of vascular surgery at a hospital in Ottawa after graduating from the University of Ottawa in 2022.
In May 2023, Aniela jumped at the opportunity to join The Princess Margaret’s team where she took on the role of Registered Nurse with the Inpatient Oncology Unit. Watching her mother’s career path as an oncology pharmacist piqued Aniela’s interest in oncology nursing.
Every day, Aniela arrives at The Princess Margaret eager to provide exceptional medical and supportive care.
Aniela felt both shocked and honoured when hearing the news that she’s a recipient of the Gerald Kirsh Humanitarian Award, “It’s encouraging to hear from patients and their loved ones that I’m doing a good job. Learning that I’ve made an impact by building strong connections while providing care is special to hear.”
“Patients and their caregivers get a lot of information during their cancer journey, which can be stressful and emotional,” said Aniela. “It’s important as a health care provider to create a safe and open space where you can relate to patients on a deeper level based on their personality and interests.”
A patient’s family felt inspired to nominate Aniela for demonstrating deep compassion and authenticity. They felt Aniela built a unique connection and provided comfort throughout the journey with cancer.
Aniela remarked, “I feel honoured to support patients at The Princess Margaret and grateful for my colleagues. We’re all focused on functioning as a cohesive team to ensure patients and their families receive exceptional care.”
Along with recognizing Dr. Kwong and Anelia, we are thrilled to celebrate fellow nominees: Dr. Penelope Bradbury, Calvin Chow, Jesus Hipolito, Dr. Andrew Hope, Dr. Rajat Kumar, Dr. Arjun Law, Dr. Hassan Sibai, Dr. Derek Tsang, and Harjot Singh Vohra.
The Princess Margaret sincerely thanks staff members and volunteers for embodying the core values of the awards.
A special awards ceremony was held to recognize the recipients and nominees. You can watch the full ceremony here.
To learn more about the awards program, or to submit a nomination for the 2025 Gerald Kirsh Humanitarian Awards, please visit thepmcf.ca/kirshawards or email kirshawards@thepmcf.ca.