Sars Doctor Dies at only 51 years old

Dr. Sheela Basrur, was an unknown physician until Sars hit Canada in 2003 when her voice became the voice of authority on Sars as the medical officer of health for the City of Toronto.

According to CBC news, Dr. Basrur resigned her position in December 2006 after being diagnosed with a rare soft-tissue and blood vessel cancer — hemangiopericytoma.

In April, Basrur was awarded the Order of Ontario for public service for her leadership during the deadly SARS outbreak.

This is pretty sad for all of us especially when she had so much more to contribute. One wonders whether exposure to SARs in any way shape or form contributed to this rare form of cancer or the stress of that period just was too much for her immune system.