Nipissing District paramedics honour former chief who's battling blood cancer

The District of Nipissing Paramedic Services is honouring its former EMS chief during Multiple Myeloma Awareness Month.

Jean-Guy Belzile was chief of the service from 2000-2019. He was a paramedic for almost 40 years serving in Espanola, Kirkland Lake and James Bay, before taking on the role in North Bay.

As he battles cancer, Belzile said being a paramedic was near and dear to his heart.

“So I'm so happy to see the staff support and the support from my ex-employer, if you wish,” he said.

Belzile raised the multiple myeloma flag at the EMS headquarters Tuesday afternoon. He was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in October 2020. Doctors told him he had a mass of cancer cells at the back of his skull and in his spine.

Multiple myeloma is an incurable blood cancer that starts in plasma cells. It is the second most common form of blood cancer, yet most people have never heard of it. Plasma cells become cancerous and interfere with the production of healthy blood cells in the bone marrow.

Jean-Guy Belzile raised the multiple myeloma flag at the EMS headquarters Tuesday afternoon. He was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in October 2020. Doctors told him he had a mass of cancer cells at the back of his skull and in his spine. (Photo courtesy of Erin Belzile)

“You have to be positive. You know, there's research every day and they may find a cure someday,” Belzile said.

“So where I sit right now, I’m in remission to a certain degree. But I still have my chemo every night, a week off every month. It’s three weeks on chemo and a week off.”

Current EMS chief Stephen Kirk said paramedics and the District of Nipissing Social Services Administration Board are supporting Belzile.

“If there's anything that we see that's really run strong in our paramedic community, it’s supporting one another and this is just another opportunity for us to express that,” Kirk said.

'We're proud to do that'

“We're proud to do that for Jean-Guy. He's been a big part of our organization for a long time.”

Kirk was a teenager when para-medicine first sparked his interest. Belzile was the manager of the ambulance operations in Moosonee and was a huge inspiration for him.

“I took part in a mock disaster with him when I was 16,” Kirk said.

“That kind of spurred my interest in medicine and about probably ten years later, we crossed paths here.”

Officials with the DNSSAB describe Belzile as “instrumental in building” the new paramedic headquarters on Seymour Street.

He is someone who has been a “tireless advocate for people with multiple myeloma and their families and a strong supporter of awareness of the disease,” the board said.

“The staff at this job, during my worst hours, darkest hours, they were there for me,” Belzile said.

“They brought food home. They brought well-wishes. They were in communication with me … Thanks to my wife that I'm here today. You need a good caregiver.”

Myeloma Canada said there were an estimated 4,000 new cases of myeloma diagnosed in 2022.

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The cause or causes of myeloma remain unknown, but research has linked it to a decline in immune function, genetic factors and the environment.

The number of Canadians diagnosed with myeloma is steadily increasing each year. While there is not yet a cure, people with myeloma are living longer and better lives thanks to recent breakthroughs in research and treatment.