Pierre Desaulniers, Chief of Emergency at Hotel Dieu Hospital and former ISTAR client.
It's hard to believe that the Chief of Emergency at Hotel Dieu Hospital struggled most of his life through school, but for Pierre Desaulniers, this was a reality he knew all too well. Because of his stuttering, his journey as a student was especially challenging.
"Since grade two, school wasn't very good for me, but I remember high school being especially difficult. We would regularly have to read text out loud in front of the class and I could tell that people felt uncomfortable listening to me," Desaulniers recalls. "This was incredibly stressful and painful."Despite these setbacks, Desaulniers was accepted into medical school in 1979.
"My first two years of university went really well because my studies were mostly course-based; I just attended class and read books. But I knew that sooner or later I would have to begin rotations and eventually speak to patients," explains Desaulniers. "I wondered if I would even be able to complete medical school."
Fate would have it that in the fall of 1980, ISTAR co-founder, the late Einer Boberg, visited Montreal. Desaulniers spotted an article in La Presse about the work Boberg was doing at the University of Alberta's Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine in the field of stuttering and decided to write him a letter.
"I got a reply from him a few weeks later letting me know that he was offering intensive treatment sessions that summer, so I decided to go," says Desaulniers.
Though he learned many new strategies and techniques from Boberg, who also stuttered, he admits that he gained something else just as valuable - a new perspective on stuttering.
"Dr. Boberg was a true role model and helped me change the way I viewed my problem. Shortly after my treatment, my professor asked me to present my research findings in front of a congress of about 250 people," says Desaulniers. "For me, this was a major source of anxiety, but Dr. Boberg encouraged me to see it as a wonderful opportunity to try my technique. It was such a relief to hear this from someone who could relate to what I was going through."
Thirty-three years later, Desaulniers continues to be a supporter of ISTAR, not only in the treatment they offer, but also in the research being conducted there.
"Research is so valuable and it's something I really believe in. I regularly give to ISTAR to sustain the work that they do," says Desaulniers. "It's great to be able to treat people and help them in their daily lives, but we need research to find the cause of stuttering. If we can determine the cause, then we can find a cure."
Until a cure is found though, Desaulniers continues to look on the bright side. Even in the midst of the hustle and bustle of an ER, he sees ways in which stuttering has given him a leg-up.
"The ER that we see on TV or in the movies is really not the model we want to follow," he explains. "In the face of a serious situation, such as trauma, it's very important that we stay calm. I think that the fact I've been trained through my treatment to speak slowly and controlled has enabled me to set a better example for my students. It has also helped me to give the best care to my patients."
A version of this story was also published in The Stars of ISTAR 2014 newsletter.