Manitoba musical mainstay sings through surgery
Tusia Kozub with the donor-funded Elekta Esprit Gamma Knife used to treat her brain tumour.
It’s not often you can describe persistent headaches as “lucky”, but that’s exactly how Petrusia (Tusia) Kozub feels about what she experienced in 2017.
“My doctor wasn’t too concerned, but referred me for an MRI to be safe,” says Kozub, 82. “That turned out to be the right decision.”
The scan showed that Kozub had a type of brain tumour called a meningioma. Other than headaches (which soon went away), she had no symptoms. Because the tumour was small and not life-threatening, the decision was taken to just monitor the tumour regularly.
Kozub continued working until her retirement in 2020 when she was travelling around the province through the Manitoba Arts Council’s Artists in Schools program, inspiring a new generation of musicians and singers. Earlier in her career, Kozub worked as a freelance singer and pianist, and as part of a sought-after vocal trio along with two of her siblings. (If you were raised in Winnipeg in the 1970s or 1980s, there is a very good chance you’ve heard the Kozubs on radio, television, or in concert.)
There were no significant changes until late 2024 when the tumour had grown to 2.2 centimetres. Kozub could have continued to monitor as her situation wasn’t urgent, but Gamma Knife surgery was now an option.
“It was December, and I was anxious about it. It was overwhelming,” says Kozub. “I didn’t tell my family for two months.”
In early 2025, with the reality of a growing tumour settling in, Kozub started to read about brain tumours and Gamma Knife technology. She learned that a Gamma Knife could safely destroy a brain tumour without incisions and with a low risk of damaging healthy tissue. She also learned that, in 2003, HSC was the first hospital in Canada to acquire a Gamma Knife, and that donors to the HSC Foundation had recently funded an upgrade.
With her family’s support, Kozub returned to Dr. Jason Beiko in April and agreed to proceed with the treatment. With medical consent, and still asymptomatic, she decided to wait until October. She returned to HSC for an MRI so that the tumour’s location could be precisely identified a few days before the procedure. On surgery day, she was fitted with a head frame early in the morning to keep her head still during the procedure.
“They served breakfast to my husband and me and then (nurse) Leanne Yule explained everything,” says Kozub. “She was thoughtful and reassuring. So were my other nurses, Kristen and Lesley. They all made me feel at ease.”
Tusia Kozub; Dr. Anthony Kaufmann, Department of Neurosurgery, HSC Winnipeg; and Leanne Yule, Nurse Clinician, HSC Winnipeg.
Kozub was on the table for an hour while Dr. Beiko eradicated the tumour with highly targeted doses of gamma radiation. She was invited to bring her favourite music to enjoy during the procedure—a jazz recording of her husband, guitarist Ron Halldorson, who is also well known as a bassist with the legendary Lenny Breau. Kozub describes the experience as relaxing and comfortable: “I sang along with most of the tunes.”
Kozub was back home in a few hours, with a bit of discomfort where the frame was attached to her head, but otherwise feeling fine and thankful. “I’m grateful for Dr. Beiko, my nurses, and the donors who made the new Gamma Knife possible,” she says.
With your continued support of the HSC Foundation’s Operation Excellence campaign, HSC can continue to acquire state-of-the-art equipment to improve the lives of Manitobans. Your gift will help revitalize and refocus Health Sciences Centre as a surgical centre of excellence and innovation. Donate today.
