Her hands are the ones that heal. Her persona, knowledge and experience provide hope to thousands who have little left. She is an obstetrician who goes above and beyond to bring tears of joy and a magical moment to a new mother’s life. This little girl from Kerala has come a long way indeed!
A beloved obstetrician, she was awarded Knight of the National Order of Quebec in 1993 and the distinguished Indo- Canadian award in 2000. Most recently, Dr. Benjamin was awarded Officer of the Order of Canada, one of the country’s highest civilian honours as “a recognition of outstanding achievement, dedication to the community and service to the nation” for her passion and commitment to the field of high-risk pregnancies.
A role model for Indo-Canadians, Dr. Benjamin’s career, spanning over 40 years, has been a fulfilling journey. “In obstetrics, the most joyous occasion is to hear the anticipated first cry of a newborn. The outcome of a healthy mother and baby is the only priority. My best reward is seeing the mother going home with her baby.”
Indeed, her journey is marked by many milestones, clinical achievements and, most importantly, memorable heartwarming cases.
As a national first, she was instrumental in establishing the first Antenatal Day Centre for high-risk pregnancies. This initiative allowed high-risk obstetric patients, especially those with diabetes, to stay home while their pregnancies were closely monitored up until the time of hospital admission and delivery resulting in a drastic reduction in stillbirths. “While avoiding prolonged hospitalisation, managing patients on an outpatient basis has been so successful that this modality was extended to patients with hypertension, renal disease, lupus and other high-risk conditions,” she stated.
In 1984, she had the privilege to care for the pregnancy of a Type I diabetic with a transplanted kidney, a first in Canada. Followed as an outpatient in the Antenatal Day Centre, she delivered a healthy term baby girl vaginally. Both mom and baby did well.
More than a decade later, Alice delivered Canada’s first interval delivery of twins, born seven weeks apart. The first baby was delivered at 23 weeks, followed by the second baby at 30 weeks. Both were delivered vaginally and are now university graduates.
Another landmark case was that of a patient diagnosed with leukemia at 26 weeks of pregnancy. As the world’s first reported case, with all forms of chemotherapy unsuccessful, the patient was delivered prematurely at 31 weeks and received a stem cell transplant from the cord blood collected at delivery from her baby. Both mother and baby are doing well.
As a tribute to Dr. Benjamin, many awards have been established in her name by grateful patients. The Molson Award for Educational Excellence, the Alice Benjamin Award for Excellence in Obstetrics, and the Dr. Alice Benjamin Leadership Award are given yearly to residents in obstetrics and gynaecology at McGill.
In 2018, under the leadership of Mr. Lorne Lieberman, the guidance of Dean Eidelman of McGill University Faculty of Medicine and the support from a group of Dr. Benjamin’s patients, the Dr. Alice Benjamin Global Maternal and Child Health Fund was established. It supports McGill students and trainees to travel to underserved parts of the world to learn from peers, care for patients and provide an opportunity for a mutual bidirectional exchange in knowledge.
With an educational philosophy of dedication, hard work and giving back to those in need, evident throughout her career, Alice is reminded of her roots that fostered that philosophy and made her who she is.
Humble beginnings
She was born on 8 September 1945 in Piravom (Kerala) to Miriam Thomas and Abraham Kochery as the eldest of their four children. Abraham was an administrator of the church. Miriam, an only child, was a homemaker. Her maternal grandmother, Elizabeth Thomas, was widowed when Miriam was only 10. Elizabeth cared for her daughter and eventually her four grandchildren. Dr. Benjamin was very close to her grandmother.
Home schooled until grade 5, she attended MKM Middle School and then St. Joseph’s High School. Subsequently, she studied at St. Teresa’s College in Ernakulam before moving to Kollam to do her bachelor’s in chemistry at Fatima Mata National College where she graduated with flying colours.
A visit to Kollam during her college days set the trajectory of her life. She was visiting the principal of her college who was admitted to the hospital. The care and compassion of the doctor attending to the principal left a significant impression on young Alice. Soon after, she applied to Lady Hardinge Medical College in New Delhi and was granted admission in 1965.
Moving to Delhi was a new experience for Alice. “There were girls from every state in the medical school. The multicultural environment was enriching and enjoyable. I celebrated my first Holi festival in Delhi.” As an extracurricular activity, the young medical student was involved in the National Cadet Corps. In fact, it was an integral part of her life throughout college and medical school as she participated in summer camps in Kannur, Shimla and Dehradun, as well as the Republic Day parade in New Delhi. Always encouraged by her father to work hard and do her very best, she excelled academically and was awarded several honours including the Lady Chelmsford Medal and the Best Intern Prize at graduation.
In 1970, right after medical school, she got married in Piravom to George Benjamin, a polymer chemist from Bangalore, working in Toronto. When her mother passed away at 43 years of age, she chose to stay with her family in Kerala before leaving for Canada.
Upon arrival in Ontario in May 1971, she joined the University of Toronto and interned for a year. With the encouragement of the chairman and senior residents, she was admitted to the obstetrics and gynaecology residency programme in Toronto. However, when George was transferred to Montreal, she applied and fortunately got the last available spot in the obstetrics and gynaecology residency programme at McGill. She was the only woman in her year. Upon completion of residency, she did a fellowship in maternal foetal medicine and was appointed attending staff at the Royal Victoria Hospital and McGill University. Throughout residency and their marriage, her husband was her best friend and pillar of support.
The couple was blessed with a daughter, Anisa. Following completion of her bachelor’s degree, she obtained a master’s in community health. As a proud mother, She praises Anisa saying, “In 2000, George developed serious complications of diabetes and passed away in 2013. She interrupted her studies to care for her father”. Since then, she has resumed her schooling in medicine.
Although Alice’s trips to India have been few, she cherished every visit. Stories of her childhood with family and friends evoke nostalgic memories. Now, nearly a year since she retired from active obstetrics, she hopes for more visits home to India. Presently, she continues to follow high-risk patients which she loves. Moreover, she is very involved in teaching and educational rounds with the students and residents. “Teaching is close to my heart. The students’ intellectual curiosity and enthusiasm are refreshingly stimulating.” With the help of her amazing team, she looks forward to continuing cultivating opportunities for McGill students and trainees alike to help and learn from communities in underserved countries by way of her namesake fund. Giving back has always been important to Alice. She supports several charities including four sponsored children with World Vision, Child Haven International with Homes in India, Nepal and Bangladesh, and the local Salvation Army.
As she reflects on her journey, Alice says she is grateful to her family and their unwavering support. Her humility and gratitude for the opportunities both in India and Canada are palpable. “As an Indo-Canadian physician, I feel humbled to have had the opportunity to study at exceptional schools in India and Canada instilling within me the value of hard work, dedication and laying the groundwork for what continues to be a gratifying career. As an obstetrician, I feel privileged to take care of two lives simultaneously, at one of the most significant and transformational periods of a woman’s life. It has been a blessing to have received the best education, work alongside brilliant colleagues and mentors from all specialties, have the opportunity to train students and residents and finally share our knowledge with our colleagues in developing countries to improve maternal and child health.”