Allan Roy Dafoe

Doctor Allan Roy Dafoe OBE (29 May, 1883 - 2 June, 1943) was a Canadian obstetrician, best known for delivering and caring for the Dionne Quintuplets, the first quintuplets known to survive early infancy.

Dafoe was born in Madoc, Ontario, the son of a physician. In early 1909, he went into practice in Callander, Ontario, where he resided for the rest of his life.

On May 28, 1934 he was called in to aid the multiple birth of the Dionne family, and saw to the survival of the mother and all the children. This got international press notice. He continued to help care for the children for years, and became something of a celebrity in the onslaught of media attention. The government of Ontario gave Dr. Dafoe joint guardianship of the quintuplets.

In response to public interest, a special nursery was built for the children where the curious members of the public viewed them. There was no charge to this, so it did not give the impression to the viewers they were exploiting the children. This was generally approved of at the time, but later generated criticism for the sideshow atmosphere it produced. Souvenir stands and other concessions surrounded the area where the quints lived.

In the intense publicity that surrounded the quints, Dafoe became the prototype of the rumpled, dedicated country doctor. However, once the quints were born, and he became one of their guardians, he devoted little work to his practice, turning it over to others. Dafoe became wealthy from his pay as guardian and from multiple commercial endorsements and speaking fees.

Dr. Dafoe was awarded an Order of the British Empire for his work with the Dionne Quintuplets. He died on 2 June 1943 from pneumonia and complications to cancer, and is buried at Park Lawn Cemetery in Toronto.