Hi Everyone,

We have absolutely devastating news to share. Our dear friend and colleague, Dr. Mehdi Afshar, has recently been diagnosed with a very rare, unresectable metastatic sarcoma.

Mehdi completed his general internal medicine residency at McGill, Cardiology residency at the University of Toronto, and was in the final days of completing his Adult Echocardiography fellowship at Sunnybrook Hospital when he was diagnosed. Rather than celebrating the imminent start of his career as a hospital cardiologist, he and his family have endured tremendous hardship over the last few weeks. Anyone who has had the pleasure of crossing paths with or getting to know Mehdi can attest that he is truly an extraordinary person. Witty, kind, hard-working, and loyal are just a few of his many strengths. Words cannot express how much he means to his loved ones, in particular, his brother, parents, and fiancée, Farnaz - their wedding postponed multiple times over the past two years, and never being realized due to the pandemic.

The last thing anyone in Mehdi’s position should worry about is finances. We are looking to support Mehdi in this trying time so that he can remain focused on his health and family. Money raised will be used towards his medical care and potential advanced therapies along with debts incurred during his medical training. Any additional funds raised will be used to honour him and to establish a scholarship emphasizing resident wellness.

-Arash, Garry, Payam, Chris, and Karan