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Five questions we’re left with after the Rob Ford diagnosis

Five questions we’re left with after the Rob Ford diagnosis

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford is undergoing more tests after being admitted to the Humber River Hospital, yesterday, after experiencing intense pain in his stomach.

At a Wednesday evening press conference, Councillor Doug Ford and hospital CEO Dr. Rueben Devlin stated that a CT scan has revealed that there is a tumor in the mayor’s abdomen; a biopsy is still needed to determine the type of tumour and whether it is malignant.

While personal health situations always require a level of sensitivity, there are a plethora of questions being raised on both social and traditional media about Ford’s health and the implications on the mayoralty race.

Will Ford remain in the mayoralty race?

Only Rob Ford, of course, has the answer at this point.

And even he may not know.

His decision is likely going to be dependent on diagnosis.

According to Newstalk 1010's medical correspondent Dr. Mitch Shulman, the worry is about colon cancer, especially since Ford's father died of that very disease eight years ago.

"The key thing you’re looking for is this a cancer, a malignancy, a tumor which is growing uncontrollably under its own signals or is this a benign tumor?," he said, adding that doctors will also be looking for other tumors.

Ford has been down this road before.

According to Globe and Mail, Ford was found to have an infected tumor on his appendix, in 2009, and subsequently had it removed.

If Rob Ford doesn’t run, what about Doug Ford?

There is a lot of chatter that the mayor’s brother, Doug Ford, could run in Rob’s place.

"We’ll speak about that (Thursday),” Doug said when asked about the election.

"Could I just ask the press just to give our family a day or so?"

If this was to happen, Doug would have to act quickly.

Candidates have until Friday at 2p.m. to enter or withdraw from the race.

Who is Dr. Reuben Devlin?

Dr. Reuben Devlin was a prominent figure at the press conference on Wednesday evening. He was there because he’s a doctor and spokesperson for Humber River Hospital. Undoubtedly, the hospital’s switchboard was being barraged with calls about Ford’s condition.

Proving the adage that ‘it’s a small world,’ Devlin was previously active in politics, and used to be a vocal critic of mayoral candidate and Ford rival John Tory during Tory’s provincial leadership days.

A past president of the Ontario Progressive Conservatives, Devlin was part of a 2008 group looking to trigger a leadership review against then-party leader John Tory.

How should the other mayoral candidates react?

John Tory released a brief statement on Wednesday wishing Rob Ford well.

"I want to see him back in good health as soon as possible and back where he would want to be – with us at the debating tables talking about the city we all love," Tory said.

Meanwhile, candidate Olivia Chow spoke to reporters at her home just two hours after the press conference at the hospital.

CTV political analyst Scott Reid suggested that was a mistake.

"I would not have made the same judgement that the Chow campaign [made]," he told Canada AM.

"Because I think in a circumstance like that no matter how sincere her expressions of concern were you have to act so gingerly as a an opposing campaign right now.

"You cannot at all appear as though as you’re being opportunistic in any way."

Will this news change how Rob Ford is treated by the media, and by voters?

Sun News contributor and political consultant Warren Kinsella wrote a very interesting post on his website suggesting that this news could actually help Ford politically.

Kinsella evokes a 2011 Ottawa Citizen story citing the experiences of Jack Layton who died of cancer and former Quebec premier Lucien Bouchard who successfully battle flesh eating disease suggesting that illness humanizes politicians.

"At this point, it will be very difficult for anyone to call Rob Ford names anymore, as John Tory has been doing. That’s one thing," Kinsella writes.

"This is the other: all that Rob Ford need do is show up – and look vulnerable and human and brave, as Layton and Bouchard did – and something like this will happen: He will win."

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