Hedwige E. Chodos M.D.

CHODOS Hedwige E. M.D., FRCS(C) nee Habegger Hedwige was born in Geneva, Switzerland on October 11, 1925 and passed away on July 24, 2008 in the Jim Pattison Pavilion of a devastating illness supported with great courage and dignity. She was predeceased by her parents and sister Elisabeth, and survived by her husband of 51 years, Joel. After graduating in medicine at the University of Geneva in 1950, Hedwige joined the University's Ophthalmological Clinic under the direction of the World renowned Professor Adolphe Franceschetti. While working in the laboratory on her doctoral thesis in the early 1950's she was the first to demonstrate the presence of an organism known as Toxoplasma Gandi, in the fluids of the eye of a patient with chorioretinitis (an infection of the retina), a potentially blinding disease. This discovery demonstrated the cause of a frequent retinal infection and led to various chemical and antibiotic treatments, thereby sparing the vision of numerous patients worldwide. Hedwige's maiden name was Habegger, but after all her work with Toxoplasmosis she was no longer referred at the Clinic as Dr. Habegger, but affectionately as "Toxy". From 1953 to 1955, at the Harvard School of Public Health (Dept. of Epidemiology) she did some important research on the causes of Retrolental Fibroplasia, a condition often resulting in blindness in premature infants. In 1957, Hedwige married and immigrated to Canada with her Canadian husband. In 1958, Hedwige was appointed as co-director of the Uveitis Clinic at the Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia, the largest eye hospital in the United States. She was also given a faculty appointment in the Graduate School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania which involved giving courses to the residents at Wills, many of whom became heads of University Eye Departments in the U.S. During her stay at Wills she developed an epidemiological model for the rapid diagnosis of Toxoplasmic Uveitis, as well as a new antibiotic treatment of the disease to replace the then current treatment which was toxic and had so many side effects, the treatment was often not followed. As she had difficulty tolerating the climate in Philadelphia, she decided with her husband to move to the West Coast. At her first interview with the Registrar of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of B.C., prior to licensure, the Registrar was so impressed with her qualifications that he left his office and drove Hedwige from the College on West 10th Ave. to St. Paul's Hospital to get the signature of the President of the College, thereby expediting the licensure. In 1960 Hedwige passed the Fellowship Exams of the Royal College giving her the right to use the letters FRCS(C). At that time only certification by the Royal College was required to practice as an eye specialist and the Fellowship Exams, with a passing rate of about 40%, was reserved for those wishing to pursue an academic career. Hedwige joined her husband Joel in the practice of Ophthalmology in May 1961 and retired in February 2003. Hedwige had a great passion for gardening and spent many hours in her award winning garden. Her favourite flower was the Dahlia and she was a longtime member of the Vancouver Dahlia Society. Many thanks to Drs. Gillian Gibson and Penelope Smyth for their excellent and compassionate care. No words can express the gratitude for all the kindness and love of Hedwige shown by her good friends Dr. Alex Nagy and wife Cynthia and Dr. Eileen Cambon. Cremation. At Hedwige's request no service will be held.