Two hearts, one dream

Throughout their lives, University of Saskatchewan (USask) alumni Dr. Shane Mamer (BA’04, DMD’10) and Dr. Shawn Mamer (BA’04, DMD’11) have pursued identical educational and career goals.

The twin brothers, who grew up on a farm located two hours east of Saskatoon, completed high school together in Naicam, Sask., before moving to the city to study massage therapy. Earning their massage therapy diplomas marked the first step of the brothers’ long post-secondary journeys, as they realized they wanted to learn more about health care, physiology, and the human body. That led them to apply for admission to USask, where they both earned Bachelor of Arts degrees in psychology followed by Doctor of Dental Medicine degrees.

Studying at USask proved to be a great fit for the brothers.

“We grew up in Saskatchewan, and it was natural for us to go to the University of Saskatchewan and still be close to family and friends,” said Shane.

As undergraduate psychology students at USask’s College of Arts and Science, the twins enrolled in the same courses and shared the same textbooks. They worked hard to excel in their classes as they set their sights on being admitted into the College of Dentistry.

“We were very academic. We were studying all the time. We weren’t really the ones to be going out every night,” said Shawn. “As far as university social life, we probably had less of that than others—because we were 12 hours a day studying to try to get good marks.”

While the twins ultimately shared the same academic success, they also faced identical challenges. While studying at USask’s College of Dentistry, they both learned that they were born with Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy (ARVC/ARVD), a rare hereditary heart muscle disorder that can cause an irregular heartbeat and sudden cardiac death in young, and otherwise healthy, individuals. The news was life changing.

On the same day in February 2010, while sitting in the same room, the brothers were told about the condition. It didn’t come as a complete surprise.

“By then I knew something was wrong because I was having symptoms and palpitations,” Shane recalled.

“It was tough. We had to finish our school knowing that (we had this heart condition).”

After receiving the diagnosis, the brothers continued their studies at the College of Dentistry. Shane graduated from USask with his Doctor of Dental Medicine degree in 2010, and Shawn followed soon after in 2011. They both began working as dentists at clinics in Saskatoon while also undergoing treatment as cardiac patients who would eventually receive heart transplants.

“There were days that I was at work and I would go straight from work to the hospital—and I would stay there for four days and then after that I would go back to work,” Shane said. “I don’t even know how I did it. But I had a young family and a mortgage, and I had to do it.”

About six years after learning about his condition, Shane received a donor heart on Valentine’s Day in 2016, when he was 37 years old. Shawn was 41 when he received his heart transplant surgery four years later, on Feb. 21, 2020.

Shane recently celebrated the 10-year anniversary of his transplant day, while Shawn has marked six years. Both brothers are doing well and have been in contact with their donors’ family members over the years.

“I write to my donor’s family,” said Shawn.

“My donor family was very excited to know who I was and to meet me,” said Shane. “We communicate a couple times a month, I would say, but I’ve actually physically met them and went to their house.”

Shawn said learning about their heart condition gave him and Shane “a second chance” at life and another opportunity to pursue their goals. They had always wanted to have a dental practice together, and on Jan. 1, 2022, the brothers officially opened Lakewood Dental in Saskatoon.

“It’s kind of a lifelong dream,” Shawn said of owning the dental clinic. “And doing it together.”

Both Shane and Shawn are now busy dentists, entrepreneurs, husbands, and fathers. The brothers are married and have two children each; Shane and his wife have an 18-year-old daughter and a 16-year-old son, while Shawn’s son is 20 and his daughter is 18. The brothers’ children want to follow in their footsteps and become dentists, too. Meanwhile, Shawn’s wife, Kyla Mamer (CDEAST’23), a fellow USask graduate, earned her Certificate in Dental Assisting in 2023 and now works at Lakewood Dental. Another fellow USask graduate, dentist Dr. Trina Gudelot (DMD’05), is an associate at the clinic.

Shane described running the clinic with his identical twin brother as “easy,” because they know each other so well and they share the same vision and goals.

“We have a similar mindset,” said Shawn. “We work opposite shifts—we work four days on and four days off—so one of us is always here.”

The clinic’s logo represents the twins’ journeys as brothers, dentists, and heart transplant recipients; the logo, which is on display above the clinic’s reception desk, features two hearts connected with a heartbeat and a tooth. The brothers draw upon their own experiences in the health-care system as they deliver services at their clinic.

“We’ve been patients. We’ve been patients for months and months of our lives, so we know how it is to be on the other side,” said Shane.

“We’ve been in the CCU (Cardiac Care Unit) for a month at a time. I was in Edmonton for four months. I’ve been on the end of the needle, or I’ve been on the end of someone looking over you, so I think it’s empathy.”

Shane and Shawn said they continue to appreciate their studies in psychology at USask, noting their Bachelor of Arts degrees are helpful as they interact with patients each day. Both brothers also feel they were well-prepared for their careers as dentists through their training at the College of Dentistry.

“It was a close-knit community. We had less than 30 people in our class when we were going through,” said Shawn. “We had good instructors and good people around.”

When asked about their advice for current and future dentistry students, Shane and Shawn said to study hard, have fun, make friends, and realize that there will be ups and downs.

“ ‘Don’t be too hard on yourself’ is what I would tell my daughter. She wants to be a dentist,” Shawn said.

“I know a lot of people are pretty hard on themselves because they’re used to doing things to perfection all of the time.”

When asked about the most rewarding aspects of their careers, Shane noted that Lakewood Dental currently employs around 20 people and is therefore helping families by creating jobs in Saskatoon.

“Getting people out of pain and helping them have a great smile” is another major highlight, he said.

“Probably the best is when they’re so happy that they cry. It’s probably the most rewarding,” said Shane.

While work is important to the brothers, they also have busy, active lives outside of their clinic. For example, Shane enjoys spending time with his wife and children and staying busy on their acreage, as well as hobbies such as hunting, fishing, quadding, and playing guitar. Shawn, meanwhile, loves the outdoors and enjoys taking part in activities with his family and friends as well working on various yard and home projects.

As they look forward to the future, the brothers feel fortunate to have overcome their health challenges and to have realized their dream of opening Lakewood Dental. Each day, they live by their favourite motto: “You are never truly beaten until you give up.”