Doctor dedicates himself to children

An angry man ran up to the sidewalk counselors near Toronto's downtown Aid to Women office and cursed them loudly. Shocked, Robert winced and stepped back. The man standing next to him holding a sign calmly said, "Robert, we're doing this for Jesus. Relax."

The slight, bearded man witnessing with Robert looks a bit like Mother Teresa, whose inspiration and cause has become his passion. Dr. Andrew Simone, a 63-year-old physician, "Ironman" triathlete and member of the Order of Canada, has been shipping donations of food from across Canada for two decades from his Mississauga warehouse to developing countries where missionaries distribute it. Lately, he's been giving one morning a week to witnessing at a Toronto abortuary. When asked why, he simply says, "The unborn child is an unprotected child, the starving child is a forgotten child. Both are children in need."

It was the feisty, generous Burnie sisters - Rita, Mary and Helen (recently deceased) who first introduced Dr. Simone to pro-life activism 20 years ago. They would visit his warehouse bringing him pro-life literature and telling him tales about witnessing at different Toronto abortuaries. He promised, "One day I'll come."

As a physician, he received a harsh awakening to abortion in the late 70s when he became the first dermatologist at a new suburban hospital. Freshly trained in his four-year specialty in Boston at a Harvard-affiliated hospital, he noticed there were 30 deliveries and 29 abortions done in one month at this hospital. Appalled, he approached his colleagues to protest, but to no avail. They began to avoid him, to snicker or ridicule him as "a radical" and many stopped referring patients to him. Dismayed by his inability to change the pro-abortion mindset, he decided that he didn't "want to be a Christian specialist just for the rich." With a lucrative practice, his wife Joan and eight children (who now number 13 with one adopted) he enjoyed a good lifestyle, but was unhappy.

They received a handwritten letter from Mother Teresa herself, encouraging them "to continue collecting food in big quantities as there is no food to buy here, but in your country there is plenty." She thanked them "for what you do for Jesus in the disguise of the poor." With their calling now affirmed, in 1985 they officially founded Canadian Food for Children (CFC). In 2001, they shipped 266 containers to 22 countries enabling CFC to feed thousands of starving children.

Around this time, the couple decided to change their lifestyle. They sold their possessions including the car, but kept the house (heated with firewood) where Dr. Simone has his medical office. Now he jogs or bikes to city destinations and borrows a vehicle for out-of-town trips.

Until three years ago, he ran both his practice and the warehouse full-time. Now, with a volunteer director (Joan is the assistant director) and many dedicated volunteers, he has "extra time to give" (such as jogging an hour and a half downtown to Aid to Women).

The cold, winter morning I visited Dr. Simone at his warehouse, he was helping to unload a transport truck just arrived from Manitoba. It delivered heavy bags of beans donated by a parish. After being loaded on to a carrier this cargo would be delivered to a transport ship leaving that day for Zambia. Later that week, Dr. Simone and Joan were leaving for El Salvador. Several times a year they travel to developing countries where Dr. Simone sees patients (most see a doctor once every few years) and to oversee CFC's food distribution. In his travels, he's learned to speak French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and Creole. In keeping with Mother Teresa's policy, he does not raise funds but does accept donations of money to buy seeds and food (split peas and beans) directly from western farmers at coast and to pay high transportation costs.

In his own way, Dr. Simone tries to promote a culture of life at home. At one time he thought of going to jail for the pro-life cause, but a priest friend told him that what he was doing, feeding starving children, was pro-life work. The priest also told him that he was unlikely to change the minds of adults and to direct his efforts toward the young. He does this by sending letters to schools inviting classes to visit the warehouse or by giving talks in schools. He relates to the students because he is an athlete, telling them about the training required for the next "Ironman" triathlon in 2003, which consists of daily (5 a.m) swimming, jogging, and biking. Then he tells them that one dollar can provide 40 meals and $12.00 dollars can feed 500 people and that a bowl of split peas can feed a nursing mother, to keep her and her infant from starving.

In 2000, he completed both the Canadian and U.S "Ironman" triathlons and was rewarded for his efforts by a Manitoba company which donated two loads of 600 bags of split peas (a load for each race) to the warehouse. He plans to participate again in 2003.

For their Christian efforts, he and Joan have received honors. He says, "They're nice but not important to us, but if they draw attention to our work that's nice." Last year, a very prominent businessman and generous donor to the warehouse, along with several CFC volunteers, nominated them for the Order of Canada, which they received in October 2001. Back in 1988, they received the Papal Cross, an international award for charitable work within the Catholic Church.