Humber Nurse Wins 2009 Volunteer of the Year Award

By Kearie Daniel, Hospital reporter

After a long day at work, most people look forward to heading home for a warm dinner.  But Humber River Regional Hospital’s Diabetes Educator, Mary Dubyk Wodoslawsky (RN) is making her way to a local pharmacy in Swansea Village, Toronto instead.  There she plans to talk to locals (in Ukrainian and English) about approaches to prevent and treat diabetes.

 It’s this dedication that prompted the Canadian Diabetes Association’s (CDA) GTA Chapter to honour Mary Dubyk Wodoslawsky with the 2009 Volunteer of the Year Award.

“I was so surprised,” says Dubyk Wodoslawsky, who is also a founding member of the CDA’s Ukrainian Diabetes Chapter.

She is clearly pleased to have received the award; but stresses that recognition is not why she does the work she does.  Volunteering is something Dubyk Wodoslawsky simply sees as part of who she is.  Her passion is diabetes education and for the past 25 years, she has spent every working day providing assistance to people with diabetes. 

As a Ukrainian-Canadian herself, Dubyk Wodoslawsky was aware that many people in her community were not accessing the services available to them.  So she decided if they wouldn’t come to her, she would go to them.

She goes to churches, community centres and festivals; anywhere they will have her, to talk about the risk factors a diet full of traditional high starch dishes such as perogies/varenyky, borsch and cabbage rolls pose to their health. The ultimate goal is to educate people about diabetes prevention or diabetes management and maintaining a good quality of life.

The Ukrainian Diabetes Chapter distributes Ukrainian language education literature about Diabetes, Diet and Metabolic Syndrome. Metabolic Syndrome is a group of factors that significantly increase the risk of cardiovascular disease (heart attack and stroke). 

In many ways, Dubyk Wodoslawsky is a woman full of contradictions. She is soft spoken, but fiercely passionate about diabetes education.  She seems shy and reserved, yet treks halfway around the world every year with charity organization Children of Chornobyl Canadian Fund and devotes much of her time outside of her home helping others.

“This work and all the volunteering I do. That's just what I do,” she says. “It's who I am.”

November Is Diabetes Awareness Month

at the Swansea Village Pharmasave, home base pf the Ukrainian Diabetes Chapter of the Canadian Diabetes Association.

Metabolic Syndrome Risk Factor assessments will be performed by appointment:

Tuesday, November 17, 9 -11 am. and Tuesday, November 10 and 24, 5 - 7 pm.

Metabolic Syndrome Risk Factor reductions seminars will be held on:

Tuesday, November 10, 7 - 8 pm. in English and

Tuesday, November 24, 7 - 8 pm. in Ukrainian.

For further information or to book an appointment, call 416-604-1234.