Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital prepares to bid a heartfelt farewell and congratulations to Dr. Sharon Smile as she takes on the position of division head for Developmental Paediatrics, Department of Paediatrics, at the University of British Columbia and BC Children’s Hospital, starting October 2023.
Dr. Smile, a developmental paediatrician at Holland Bloorview, has contributed significantly to improving health care for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Her continued advocacy and commitment has led to the first multidisciplinary assessment and intervention clinic in Ontario, specifically supporting children with a neurodevelopmental disorder and restrictive eating. She is a leader in psychopharmacologic management in children with ASD and has made significant contributions to supporting anti-racism, equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives in healthcare.
Leading with compassion
Dr. Smile joined Holland Bloorview as a fellow in 2007, returned in 2012, and has grown to become an integral member of our child development program. Her inspiration lies in the children and youth she sees in her day-to-day work who teach her to “never give up, celebrate being present” and “to be grateful in the moment.” Demonstrating compassion is a hallmark trait of Dr. Smile, ringing true especially during the pandemic.
Dr. Smile emphasized the importance of human contact in care when virtual appointments grew to become the norm. In a blog post she had written in the Canadian Medical Association Journal on this topic, she expressed that some days left her “with a persistent draining feeling of inadequacy.” However, Dr. Smile channelled those feelings to reflect on the best ways to support families and her fellow clinicians in navigating the new emotional needs created by the use of these virtual platforms.
For families, her goal was to best understand their feelings and what immediate supports they had in place, knowing that social isolation was experienced by many caregivers during COVID-19. For clinicians at Holland Bloorview, debriefing with colleagues after giving an autism diagnosis was something that she modeled and coached others to build into their own self-care.
Leading and teaching through the lens of equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI)
As a clinical study investigator at the Bloorview Research Institute, she spoke to the influence of racism on a child’s development and shared with a Canadian Press reporter in 2020 that it was both “a moral issue and a medical issue.” She also encouraged parents to teach their kids about race and diversity not through a comparative lens but rather through one of mutual appreciation. On many occasions, Dr. Smile has generously lent her EDI lens and shared her experiences as a Black doctor to challenge the Holland Bloorview community to confront anti-black racism and seek change for the betterment of the families and clients we serve from equity-seeking groups.
An outstanding teacher, Dr. Smile has made an incredible impact in her leadership role as the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion champion for the Division of Developmental Paediatrics at the University of Toronto (U of T). Prior to that she has been a recipient of the Division of Developmental Paediatrics Faculty Teaching Awards (2013, 2018, 2020) and in the summer of 2022, Dr. Smile was promoted to associate professor at the Department of Paediatrics with U of T. Her challenge to the next generation of students and trainees in this field is: “to be unshakeable in their endeavours; to be determined to leave the world a better place as they journey on, to be determined to challenge status quo, create a better alternative. Be bold and fearless.”
