The McMaster Children’s Hospital pediatrician died Thursday, just days after collapsing in the water during a race at the Toronto Triathlon Festival on Sunday, July 24. At her funeral, held Thursday at Toronto’s Benjamin’s Park Memorial Chapel, her siblings Lauren and Maurice described Candace as someone who loved children, gave blood frequently and was proudly registered as an organ donor. “In this last gesture, it saves four lives,” Maurice said, as Lauren listed the recipients. Three women will receive their sister’s liver, kidneys and pancreas, while one man will receive her lungs.
Candace loved sports, traveling and classical music
“She is alive and brings light to all of our lives,” Maurice said, reading a letter the brothers wrote to be read in the operating room at the time of the transplant. “She works tirelessly to improve the lives of everyone she meets.” After Sunday’s collapse, “lifeguards and kayakers responded immediately on the water” and Candace “was immediately attended to by paramedics while on land,” Triathlon Festival organizers told CBC News. Toronto Emergency Medical Services says she was taken to hospital in life-threatening condition. She died at the age of 27, leaving behind her partner, Seth Kadish, and her parents, Nicole and Gary, according to a obituary posted on funeral home website. Her funeral took place the same day. It is Jewish tradition to bury the body as soon as possible after the person’s death. In the obituary, which has been posted on YouTube and has been viewed nearly 5,000 times since Friday afternoon, her siblings described a quirky, fun-loving person who loved sports, the outdoors, classical music and international travel. “Candace loves hot dogs and hates olives,” said Lauren, who is Candace’s twin. “She likes hot dogs so much that she dressed up as one for Halloween several years in a row and has favorite stands around town. He hates olives so much that he refused to eat anything with olives in them, even if they were removed. “
“I’m going to miss our 3 a.m. meetings in the ER”
The news has shocked the community at McMaster Children’s Hospital, where Candace was a third-year. “The loss … has been incredibly hard on our community,” the hospital’s trauma director, Dr. Megan Doyle, tweeted Thursday night. “He lived with a sense of adventure and passion for life. I will miss our 3am meetings at [emergency room]usually centered around our latest outdoor adventures.” The family asked for donations in Candace’s honor to go to the hospital. The donation site describes her as “comfortable around children, working as a summer camp counselor, swimming instructor and often an on-call babysitter for friends, family or colleagues in need. “She was dedicated to her profession as a pediatrician, mentoring some of her best friends in medical school and undergrad in choosing a specialty, and taking a wide range of courses during her residency,” the donation website wrote. The loss of Dr. Candace Nayman, one of our MacPeds residents, has been incredibly hard on our community. He lived with a sense of adventure and passion for life. I will miss our 3am meetings in the ER, usually centered around our latest outdoor adventures. https://t.co/tL9VxP4haM —@MeaganDoyleMD The website says he ran 135 kilometers and individually raised $2,000 as part of McMaster Children’s Hospital’s Million Reasons race in May. He also spent time as a board member of the Professional Association of Residents of Ontario and was an active member of the McMaster Pediatrics Residency community, according to the website. In the summer of 2021, he worked as a physician in Sault Ste Marie, Ont., and had planned to travel for an elective rotation in the Northwest Territories in the coming months. “We are honored by your love for our daughter and your unwavering support throughout this time,” the website said.
