Former patients of doctor charged in Hawkesbury, Ont., murder struggle with news of arrest

The last thing Francoise Pilon Poisson ofL'Orignal, Ont., expected to hear was that the doctor she had seen several months earlier had beencharged with first-degree murder.

Dr. Brian Nadler, a specialist in internal medicine, was arrested Thursday night in connection with an Ontario Provincial Police investigation into several suspicious deaths at the Hawkesburyand District General Hospital. He was charged the next day.

Pilon Poisson spent a week under Nadler's care duringher cancer treatments.

"I trusted him [one] hundred per cent," shetold CBC Ottawa.

"He was very gentle, very professional and very caring. So that's why I'm shocked."

• OPP calls murder charge against doctor a 'traumatic experience' for Hawkesbury
• Doctor charged with murder after multiple deaths at Hawkesbury, Ont., hospital

The charge laid Friday hasyet to be proven in court, but Poisson said if what he's accused of proves true, she's grateful to be alive. Nadler, wholives in the western Montreal suburb of Dollard-Des-Ormeaux, is set for his next court appearance onApril 6.

"I didn't sleep last night. I mean, just like it keeps coming back because I don't understand why if it's true that he did that," she said.

Accusations difficult to reconcile

Nadlertreated Sebastien Fournierin February. Fourniersaid Nadler was "very professional and very attentive to details."

"I was very shocked and troubled with that situation because he was my doctor, and I can't put those things together with the accusations and the doctor I met."

• What we know so far about Brian Nadler, the doctor charged with 1st-degree murder
• 'Shock and disbelief' in Hawkesbury, but locals have faith in hospital

Fourniertold Radio-Canada thathis feelings about the hospital, however, haven't changed. He had an appointment there as recently as Friday, and said he's "happy with that service that we have in our community in Hawkesbury."

Teresa Beaulne, Nadler's patientduring hervisit to the emergency room, told CBC Ottawashe doesn't remember much of her experience with him other than"he did well with me."

"I don't remember the injury I had at that time, but yeah, I liked him," said Beaulne.

Nadler remainsin custody. Hislawyer, Alan Brass, told CBC News last week that his client maintains his innocence.