▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁On ▁the ▁Canada ▁Read s ▁program , ▁five ▁prominent ▁Canad ians , ▁known ▁as ▁" adv oc ates ," ▁each ▁select ▁a ▁book . ▁C BC ▁Radio ▁listen ers ▁then ▁choose ▁the ▁winner . ▁Past ▁w inners ▁of ▁the ▁competition ▁have ▁included ▁Michael ▁O nd a at je , ▁Joseph ▁Boy den ▁and ▁Kim ▁Th ú y . ▁K avan agh ▁was ▁a ▁co - produ cer ▁on ▁the ▁first ▁season ▁of ▁Canada ▁Read s ▁before ▁leaving ▁the ▁show ▁to ▁purs ue ▁other ▁C BC ▁projects . ▁ ▁K avan agh ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Deep ▁River , ▁Ontario , ▁on ▁June ▁ 1 2 , ▁ 1 9 5 3 , ▁as ▁the ▁third ▁of ▁five ▁children ▁of ▁Cy ril ▁and ▁Th el ma ▁K avan agh . ▁He ▁contract ed ▁par al yt ic ▁pol iom y el itis ▁when ▁he ▁was ▁just ▁two ▁months ▁old ▁and ▁spent ▁much ▁of ▁his ▁early ▁inf ancy ▁and ▁child hood ▁as ▁a ▁patient ▁at ▁The ▁Hospital ▁for ▁S ick ▁Children ▁in ▁Toronto . ▁He ▁end ured ▁medical ▁procedures ▁and ▁sur ger ies ▁throughout ▁his ▁life . ▁When ▁he ▁was ▁ 6 0 - year s ▁old , ▁K avan agh ▁under w ent ▁a ▁surg ery ▁to ▁length en ▁one ▁of ▁his ▁legs , ▁making ▁both ▁legs ▁the ▁same ▁length ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time . ▁As ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁the ▁operation , ▁he ▁had ▁to ▁learn ▁how ▁to ▁walk ▁again . ▁He ▁documented ▁his ▁experience ▁in ▁his ▁mem oir , ▁The