Generous gift to fight depression
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Barbara Crook's poise deserts her as she talks about her father.
To hear her tell it, he could charm the birds from the trees and at least once, he sweet-talked some bank robbers — mid-heist — one of whom spilled out his life story to the warm and kindly man.
But he was beset by depression and it cost him his job.
"Imagine that a loyal worker, husband and father could be fired because of an illness over which he had no control," she said, her voice laced with outrage.
"An illness that attacked his sunny, generous spirit as cruelly as cancer can ravage a strong and healthy body."
Crook and husband Dan Greenberg pledged $1 million to the Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre on Tuesday.
It will help bring brain imaging technology to the centre that will lead to better care and understanding of people battling depression.
Doctors must now rely on people telling them how they feel to in order to diagnose them.
The centre's new imaging centre will help doctors find physical evidence of what's amiss and to better evaluate treatment.
Crook, who was herself diagnosed with depression in 1996, was fortunate that she responded to treatment almost immediate.
"But not everyone is so lucky," she said.
"It can take months, even years, for some people to find the right treatment for the black dog."
tony.spears@sunmedia.ca
Twitter: @ottawasuntonys
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