Gilbert Shlomo Btito
City:
Montreal, QC
Family:
Wife, Marianne
A Bit About Me
My parents were Simon and Jacqueline Btito. I was born on January 26, 1955, in Casablanca, Morocco the third child of four. My two older sisters, Sylvia, 75 and Sonya 72 and my brother Jack, 14 years my junior, born in Montreal in 1968,a year after my bar mitzva and 3 years before the death of our mother at the age of 39.
On March 4, 1968, when I was 13 years old, we moved from Casablanca to Montreal. I attended Ecole Secondaire College Francis and Universitaire de Montreal where I obtained my Bachelor of Arts.
In 1976 I worked for the Olympic Games, and later for Canada Post as a verificatory where I've been for 35 years.
I met my wife Marianne in 1968, and on September 2, 1979, we were married at The Spanish Portuguese Synagogue. I've been blessed with a wonderful wife and a happy marriage, but unfortunately, we were unable to have any children.
Six years ago, at the age of 65 I began to feel very tired and nauseous. I went to see my family doctor. This was the beginning of my journey with kidney failure. I began working with a dietician and being careful with my salt intake. This has been somewhat helpful with its ups and downs over the last few years, however in July 2025 I had to take an extended leave of absence from work due to extreme exhaustion and my deteriorating health. ( I do hope to return to my position at Canada Post, post-transplant.)
About three months ago, I had a routine visit to my nephrologist. The doctor was horrified at the high level of my creatinine and promptly called an ambulance to take me to the hospital where they catheterized me. Here starts my journey with dialysis. Needless to say, dialysis three times a week at the Montreal General Hospital, is exhausting. I am the sole caregiver for my wife of 42 years who is currently suffering from dementia. It has been extremely difficult for me to see her like this. It is likely a combination of stress and depression that has contributed to my kidney decline. Nevertheless, I still try to stay upbeat and positive, going to the gym regularly, to keep healthy and strong. I am hopeful that with the help of Renewal Canada I will be able to resume working as well as my many responsibilities for many healthy years to come.