Natale's story of Healing and Courage...Healed of rare brain tumour

Natale's story of Healing and Courage...Healed of rare brain tumour


Michael Schurton

January 15, 2011

Miracles still do happen. Healing is still an experience for many who truly believe. This is the life changing experience of my friend and neighbour Chris. Today Chris is a living example of a great story of the power of healing and the display of courage. Natale Aiello, affectionately called Chris, was faced with a major health crisis four years ago. But today Chris is healthy and strong and enjoying his favourite pastime caring for his garden and ours too.

We have been neighbours for the last five years. Chris, his family and I reside in a wonderful suburb of the Highlands of Castlemore located at the border of the Cities of Brampton and Caledon in Ontario Canada. Last Saturday, January 8, 201, I was honoured to be invited to a wonderful celebration for Chris, his milestone 65th surprised birthday event. It was a wonderful event filled with emotion, affection, love and respect for a father, husband, uncle, grand-father, friend and neighbour. Not only that the hall was filled with great company and an abundant array of delightful food.

It was indeed a fitting celebration for a great man who has survived so many challenges. Chris was basically active and hard working. But then came a period of testing.

According to his wife, Sylvia Aiello, she recalls that the headaches started about four years ago. She said that her husband Natale would cry out in pain, day and night.

They spent a year in and out of emergency rooms and specialty clinics trying to find out what was wrong. Nothing worked. Then they discovered St. Michael’s Foundation. St. Michael’s Foundation supports the extraordinary work of one of the largest and best teaching hospitals in Canada, St. Michael’s Hospital. St. Michael’s Foundation helps the hospital fulfill its mission as Toronto’s Urban Angel, providing compassionate, innovative care for all in need.

And indeed Chris truly discovered compassionate and innovative care at St. Michael’s Hospital.

Chris and his family now have high praise and tremendous respect for the people at St. Michael’s. Today they call Dr. Jennifer Anderson and Dr. Michael Cusimano “miracle workers.” That’s because Dr. Cusimano knew the right tests to administer. And these tests led to an accurate diagnosis – an extremely rare chordoma brain tumour that literally invades the spinal column and replaces it with a tumour growth.

It had gotten so bad that the tumour was actually holding up Natale’s head,” says Sylvia.

Natale underwent three very risky surgeries to remove the tumour. Drs. Anderson and Cusimano worked together to remove the tumour through the nasal cavity, a first-in-the-world procedure. They also did a high-risk spinal fusion operation that, if unsuccessful, Natale would have lost his mobility.

“We are so grateful to Dr. Cusimano and Dr. Anderson who performed a miracle for us. And we’re especially thankful to donors to St. Michael’s – thanks to their generous support, the Hospital had the special equipment they needed to help Natale. In our darkest days, everyone gave us a special gift – hope.”

Sylvia Natale says she is so thankful for the prayers and support of family and friends and many others who gave their support to the family during the ordeal. She also is grateful for the financial donation towards St. Michael’s Foundation. She says “we’re especially thankful to donors to St. Michael’s – thanks to their generous support, the Hospital had the special equipment they needed to help Natale.”

Today Chris is back in his favourite place his garden and also our garden as we lovingly cares for both garden, lawn and drive ways.

Last Saturday he was the first one out to help shovel the snow from the dive way. Then a group of us join in and shovel the drive way. After that Chris invited us for a drink and we all willing oblige, not letting anything thing on that we would be celebrating with his at his surprise birthday event hours later.

Truly there is power in prayer and today we can celebrate the courage of Chris, a man who has survived insurmountable obstacles. Chris is now celebrating a full life also filled with many, many memories too wonderful to ever forget.