Women Who Inspire: Nelly Hanna — Olimpia's Favorite People, Places & Things

Apr 4

Apr 4 Women Who Inspire: Nelly Hanna

Optometrist

“Sometimes you will meet a person and know immediately upon meeting them that they are a powerhouse! That is the feeling you get upon meeting Nelly. She is confident, professional, efficient and kind.

How can you not feel inspired by woman who owns an optometric clinic in Westmount, works in other clinics helping mostly children with their vision as well as doing volunteer work in schools with children in need where she does visual screening to detect early vision problems. I’m a fan!”

What were the challenges in building your career?

I trained as an ophthalmologist in Egypt, but when I immigrated to Canada, it was difficult to get my education recognized in Quebec. I already spoke English and French, so I was able to get a job doing rehabilitation work with children with strabismus. Eventually, I got an opportunity to study for my equivalencies; I wrote the exam and even did two months of additional training in an ophthalmologist’s office. At the same time, I was also raising two children, 5 and 7 years old, and helping them get accustomed to a new country, a new culture… winter! We had a lot of support though—my mother was with us, helping with cooking and cleaning—and that helped.

What is the biggest challenge of your job?

There aren’t many professionals who have the special touch needed to work with handicapped kids. They need more attention, more patience. Also, when you work with handicapped children, at the end of the day, it’s hard not to be emotionally affected by these little angels. Early in my career, I was fortunate enough to work with an Egyptian ophthalmologist at Ste-Justine Hospital, who encouraged me to pursue this line of work. I am grateful for her guidance. When you see a child who is sick, who did nothing to deserve this fate, it touches you deeply. But I love being able to help people and to feel their gratitude.

In your life and line of work, how do you define success?

I work a lot, I’m a workaholic, but you need to have drawers in your head. When I leave the house, I close the family drawer and open the work drawer. And when I get home, I close the work drawer. Anything else, and you won’t survive. For me, that sense of fulfillment that comes from knowing that patients trust in what you do and who you are, that’s success!

What was the hardest lesson that took you the longest to learn?

That sometimes thinking about yourself and your well-being is not selfishness, nor egocentricity, but a question of survival. When my kids were younger, it wasn't easy to take care of myself, but I made a choice, once my children were older, to take care of myself. So I meet my friends often, I go to restaurants and the movies, I read, I get a massage and go to the spa. It’s also important for me to spend time with my children at least once a week—I already speak to them once a day—and see my grandchildren once a week, of course!

What advice would you give to young women and men just starting their careers?

Be authentic with your patients and do your best with each case. Be honest, enjoy what you do and be humble when you succeed. Also, never give up! At certain periods in my life, things were hard, but I never gave up and I did it. This new generation is more aware of how hard it is to balance work and family. My generation worked hard at work and at home, but this younger generation can work less at the office and have greater balance with family life.