Some lessons are passed down quietly through generations. Not through words alone, but through courage, compassion and the way people choose to care for others in difficult moments.
For Dr. Marietta Van Den Berg, the women in her family taught her what it means to persevere, to lead with empathy and to leave people better than you found them.
Those lessons, first modeled by her great-grandmother, grandmother and mother, would go on to shape not only the physician and leader she became, but also the legacy she now passes on to patients, colleagues and her children.
This Mother’s Day, Dr. Van Den Berg reflects on the powerful influence of the women who came before her, and how their example continues to guide the way she cares for others today.
Strength Passed Down Through Generation After Generation
Dr. Van Den Berg’s values that she carries through life and leadership were shaped long before her career in medicine began.
From her great-grandmother, Dr. Van Den Berg learned perseverance. A survivor of a concentration camp during the Boer War, she carried forward the belief that even the hardest experiences can be endured. Her strength became a reminder that resilience is not about avoiding hardship but continuing through it.
Her grandmother taught her determination and adaptability. Raising a family during civil war in rural Zimbabwe, she learned how to move forward despite uncertainty. Through her example, Dr. Van Den Berg saw the importance of staying grounded, focused and committed to the people who depend on you.
But it was her mother who shaped the way she cares for others.
Her mother often visited the SPCA looking for animals no one else wanted. She would bring home the ugliest, grumpiest or most unlovable animals because she believed everyone, no matter who they are, deserves love and safety.
From her, Dr. Van Den Berg learned empathy without judgement, and the importance of seeing value in every person, especially those who may feel forgotten, misunderstood or left behind.
Today, those lessons continue to shape the way she leads, mothers and cares for her community.
Carrying Those Values Forward
From a young age, Dr. Van Den Berg knew she wanted to help people. As her career evolved, so did her understanding of what truly meant.
Throughout her work in rehabilitation medicine, palliative care, infectious diseases and mental health, she has focused on improving care for people with complex needs, especially those who are often overlooked by the system.
As Clinical Lead of the Surrey Urgent Response Centre for Mental Health and Substance Use and Site Medical Director at Surrey Memorial Hospital, she continues to advocate for compassionate, team-based care that helps people feel seen, supported and understood.
The values passed down from the women in her family are reflected in the way she approaches leadership today. With empathy. With resilience. And with a commitment to creating meaningful change for others.
The Legacy She Hopes To Leave
For Dr. Van Den Berg, leadership is not about titles or recognition. It is about the impact you leave on people and the way you make them feel cared for in moments when they need it most.
That belief continues to guide not only how she leads within health care, but also how she encourages other women navigating challenges of their own.
Her advice is simple: hold your course and keep your eyes on your purpose. Give yourself credit. Allow yourself to sit with difficult feelings, because that is where growth happens. You do not have to be perfect. You just have to keep getting better.
And to her mother, who passed away in 1997, Dr. Van Den Berg offers a simple message.
“Thank you, for always having a lap for me, even when I chose not to sit on it.”
This Mother’s Day, Dr. Van Den Berg’s story is a reminder that the legacies mothers leave behind are often built in quiet but lasting ways. Through the values they model, the care they show and the lives they shape along the way.
