Mac alumna receives proposal on TV
University alumna Dr. Nancy Walker was proposed to during a taping of The Wellness Hour.
McMaster alumna Dr. Nancy Walker received a surprising but pleasant shock during an interview on a TV talk show.
Walker’s boyfriend, Dr. Scott Smith (host of the US health talk show The Wellness Hour) was interviewing her regarding gum disease, when he interrupted the interview to get on his knee to propose.
“Even when he presented the ring in front of me, I was stunned,” said the 45-year-old rheumatologist, who practices in Reading, Pennsylvania. A video clip of the proposal was uploaded to YouTube by producers of The Wellness Hour.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=6BxfOVG-vRk
Walker, a 1992 graduate of McMaster’s physiotherapy program, returned to the University in 1995 to pursue a medical degree. She graduated from the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine in 1998 and has been practising as a rheumatologist in the US for 10 years.
She met her boyfriend, a periodontist, in 2010. Smith invited her onto The Wellness Hour to talk to her for a video clip to be used on the website for his dental practice. She thought she was to discuss an autoimmune dry mouth condition.
Walker said she didn’t have a clue about what was to happen. A wedding date has yet to be set, but the couple is planning a family honeymoon.
Walker has also recently given McMaster a $5,000 gift to establish a bursary in honour of her 36-year-old sister, Stefanie Ann Fiorini-Kinley, who passed away unexpectedly in April 2010. Her sister graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from McMaster in 1995. An annual award of $1,000 will be given to a student recognized for community service.
“McMaster is a university that cares deeply for its students and its community which exemplifies my sister’s philosophy,” she said.
