When Tony Korosak began treatment for his swollen foot, he had no idea how his life would change.
As his foot began to worsen, he came to the Emergency Department at Joseph Brant Hospital where he was taken in for several tests. Soon after, Dr. Armstrong walked in and gave Tony some grave news with an urgent timeline.
“I was diagnosed with gangrene and he told me that I needed an amputation immediately or I would die,” says Tony. “The news truly came as a shock but I only have five minutes to make a decision.”
Tony’s wife recalls the fear she felt and couldn’t believe the news.
“Tony was not angry or negative with this experience, but I was scared. But I soon felt reassured because we were provided with a whole support system of doctors, nurses, and staff,” says Lisa.
Tony would need three lifesaving operations and was put on antibiotics to ensure the gangrene would not spread in his body.
“Dr. Armstrong, Dr. Kalina, Dr. Dzaja and the whole team were incredible with Tony and with our entire family,” recalls Lisa. “From the physiotherapy team and nurses giving us updates, they went over and beyond to ensure we had a roadmap and knew what to expect every step of the way.”
For Tony and Lisa, it was how the entire team took care of their family that made their experience one they would never forget.
“It wasn’t just a doctor or just a nurse, it was someone who truly cared and that’s the way everyone was with us. We felt like we were in safe hands,” says Lisa.
What felt like an initial bleak situation turned into one of hope.
“I could never have imagined this whole experience happening to me. But the overall experience of feeling supported – it made me confident,” says Tony. “This is a new chapter in my life.”
Joanne had never had any major health issues, until suddenly, she began to experience some very strange symptoms. The active figure skating coach was experiencing extreme fatigue, sudden weight loss and tachycardia. Joanne reached out to her doctor, who soon directed her to Joseph Brant Hospital.
After a series of tests were run, doctors began to believe it was Myeloma. Joanne met with Dr. Kang quickly, where she was told she needed to get a bone marrow biopsy done immediately.
“I was so impressed with the urgency, the attention, the listening – consciously listening to me and being attentive,” says Joanne.
Joanne was diagnosed with high-risk multiple myeloma ( T(4,14)) and soon began chemotherapy treatments.
“It was awful, it was shocking, and it was frightening. Cancer is one thing, but I’d never heard of multiple Myeloma which created more fear in me,” says Joanne. “The staff in Oncology were superior. They knew that I was emotionally struggling and immediately set me up with one of the social workers in Oncology.”
Joanne was called back to see Dr. Kang where he informed her that they needed to perform, two, back to back, stem-cell transplants – also known as a tandem transplant.
“The doctors and staff were so prompt with these tests – everything was urgent and immediate,” remembers Joanne.
Joanne continues to return to Joseph Brant Hospital lovingly and warmly for indefinite, bi-weekly chemotherapy.
“I have never been so grateful to be alive for every second of my every day. It’s no doubt this diagnosis has dramatically changed the person I am. I feel like my cancer has now empowered me as a person, and I owe it to Joseph Brant Hospital,” says Joanne.
For Joanne, she can’t help but be full of hope because of the staff at Joseph Brant Hospital.
“To this day, I find absolute strength in knowing that the staff have my life in their hands. I have absolute trust and faith in them,” says Joanne, “When I walk into Oncology, I feel empowered – I no longer feel scared. I feel that I’m beating cancer.”
Bill Rogers had just moved backed to Ontario, but physically something didn’t feel right. He went to see his family doctor, who ran a few blood tests. Soon after, Bill found himself at Joseph Brant Hospital for a colonoscopy.
According to Bill, it must have been one of the shortest colonoscopies ever, due to the tumour that was blocking the path of the scope.
“I was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer,” says Bill.
Bill was referred with Dr. Bacopolous at Joseph Brant Hospital where he had his first surgery in August. Unfortunately after surgery, he was told that the tumour had grown and it was in a location where nothing could be done.
“I was assigned to Dr. Phillips, and was scheduled to start chemotherapy in late September, but then my blood count dropped which required a transfusion. Shortly after, unrelated to the transfusion, I developed a blood clot that put me in the hospital for 8 days,” recounts Bill. “My tumor had grown to such an extent, I couldn’t digest food.”
Bill was soon set up for radiation, which resulted in some improvements that meant by the mid-December Bill was in a position to begin chemotherapy.
“My question to the doctors was, what happens if I don’t do chemo?,” Bill said. “They told me if I didn’t, I would only have a couple months to live – maybe a year.”
Bill began to look at short term goals, and just ahead of his sixth chemotherapy treatment, he booked a trip to Los Angeles to take in a Dodgers game and to see Bruce Springsteen. He had another assessment meeting, where it was discovered that his tumours had shrunk to where he was a candidate for surgery. After two more chemotherapy sessions, he took a break to prepare for surgery and after meeting his surgeon, he flew to Los Angeles.
During Bill’s treatments, his tumor went from inoperable to operable and Bill was deemed a candidate for surgery, which he underwent, lasting 12 hours.
When a post-surgery follow up CT scan was conducted in early September it had picked up 21 cancerous spots on his liver.
“My condition was treatable, but not curable. I went through another 16 chemo sessions. By the end of the June, I asked my doctors for a break for the summer. Before we could proceed with the break a CT was conducted and there was no evidence of cancer,” remarks Bill.
Over the next 10 years, the doctors continued quarterly assessments and tests that soon scaled down to semi-annual.
“The presence of cancer had not come back,” says Bill, “I had only a few months to live, but 10 years later, I got to ring the bell to mark the end of my treatment journey.”
For Bill, Joseph Brant Hospital was the difference maker.
“The doctors and staff are strong and caring individuals who want every patient to be successful. They give you a positive attitude which benefits your health outcomes,” says Bill. “They go above their job, because they care about you as an individual. It goes a long way to build the confidence you need to go through something as difficult as this. If the people supporting you believe in you, it makes you stronger for the fight you have ahead.”
From the outside, those who knew Jackie saw her as accomplished and successful. She had worked hard in school, had a stable career, and a family. But underneath it all, she was working hard to keep everything together and was hanging on by a thread.
“I had struggled with mental health and addiction difficulties throughout my entire life,” she said. ”Often this struggle was in silence because it’s so hard to access that kind of help because of stigma.”
What proved most difficult along her journey was finding the right treatment. For almost 30 years, Jackie was treated mostly through community agencies and private therapists for. Despite the support she was receiving, her addiction and mental health issues were impacting nearly all areas of her life. Jackie was being treated for a diagnosis that, while listed in the DSM, many psychiatrists and therapists have moved away from.
“Despite years of therapy, I remained in a pattern of avoiding difficult feelings and memories,” Jackie says. “It left me ill prepared to cope with stressors and this led to an increase reliance on my addiction to manage.”
Unfortunately, things reached a crisis point on Christmas Day several years ago, and she ended up being admitted to the in-patient psychiatric unit at JBH. While things had really unraveled and it was a very painful time, it was actually a blessing in disguise.
“The admission was very brief and life changing for me,” says Jackie. “My consult with the psychiatrist on the unit was the first time my previous diagnosis was challenged and was the start of a very different journey.”
The admission resulted in a referral to the PHAST program which then led to the DBT program in Community Mental Health, which Jackie credits with saving her life.
Undoing 30 years of therapy has not been an easy process. There was comfort in the previous type of therapy she had received and close connection with the people who had tried so hard to help her for many years. At the same time, she could see it wasn’t getting her the results she wanted. Jackie realized she was not getting where she needed to be and made the difficult switch. For the first time, her addiction and mental health needs would be met by one person in one program through one set of skills.
“Through this program, I have learned healthy ways to cope with extreme anxiety by learning skills that help me to manage emotions and prevent the escalation of them,” Jackie says. “I have set goals and has slowly been working to re-build my life.”
One of the components of the DBT program is to re-engage with something in the community whether it be work, volunteering, or school. Jackie has done a bit of all of this. She is involved in a community food program where she gets to draw from her previous experience when she used to work in street ministry. She has returned to supply preaching after an extended absence. She has also joined the Walk to the Lighthouse Committee raises funds and awareness for Mental Health and Addiction Services at JBH.
When Jackie first joined the committee, she was worried about participating in something that was so publicly connected to mental health. She then realized how freeing it was to be open about her experiences and to be able to share her journey.
“I hope that by sharing my story, others will know they are not alone and be more comfortable to seek the help and support they need,” she says.
Jackie’s journey has been intense and full of hard work to change long standing patterns and to understand her issues and treatment through a very different lens.
“The path is not linear and it sometimes feels like a few steps forward and then back, but overall, I continue to move forward,” she says. “The work is both exhausting and rewarding but with determination, rebuilding my life is now obtainable.”
In late 2014, Roger Ahamad’s family doctor had some concerns based on symptoms and directed him to an Emergency Department. Roger came to Joseph Brant Hospital, and after undergoing testing, he was scheduled for a follow up four months later.
But when Roger came for his follow up appointment, the mass had grown significantly.
“I remember the worried looks on the doctors’ faces,” he recalls. “They said one way or another, this mass needs to be removed and the surgeon ordered a CT scan to prepare for surgery. That’s where things took a turn.”
The CT scan revealed a large mass on Roger’s colon, a smaller mass on his pancreas, and two spots on his liver –all of which looked cancerous.
It was April 22, 2015 when it was confirmed to be cancer, and that surgery was not recommended because it had metastasized. Roger and his family were given a median survival timeline of 11 months.
“We set my expiry date at March 22, 2016,” said Roger.
Roger began palliative chemotherapy treatments at Joseph Brant Hospital, and received what was termed the “Olympian treatment of drugs.”
Over the next almost five years, Roger received treatment every two weeks – 95 in all, in addition to 10 visits to the Emergency Department, 25 nights in hospital, and five radiation courses. Throughout it all, he knew he was in good hands.
“I have nothing but incredible memories of the entire team at JBH, most notably the nurses, who I call my oncology angels,” he said.
In March 2020, chemo was paused to determine the impact of treatment to the tumor. The good news was the multiple CT scans have, and continue to show no change. In July 2020, Roger had surgery to remove the mass obstructing his colon. The pathology, post surgery, revealed that it was a benign growth (schwannoma).
Because of the incredible care he has received, Roger has been able to continue to spend time with his wife and children, and his dog Marley.
“My family is grateful for the care I’ve received at JBH and can’t thank the team enough,” said Roger. “Thanks to the expert, compassionate care I received there, I am still able to go on holiday with my wife, celebrate important milestones with my family and play golf with my friends.”
The Eaton Family – Brooklynn, Rob, Madilyn and Hugh
When Brooklynn and Rob Eaton’s twins arrived six weeks early, it wasn’t the storybook beginning to parenting they were hoping for.
“You’re expecting the same thing as your friends, and the movies, and it’s not always the case,” said Brooklynn.
After spending two days in a local Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), the doctors came to tell the new parents that their newborns, Madilyn and Hugh, needed to be transferred to make room and that Joseph Brant Hospital had space.
Before they came to JBH, the twins were separated within the hospital, which meant Brooklynn and Rob needed to split up and take turns spending time with their son and daughter separately. But once they arrived at JBH, they were quickly moved to the same bay so the family could be together.
“Right off the bat the whole atmosphere was amazing,” Brooklynn said. “We live an hour away and were worried about being on time, but the nurses were so reassuring and supportive. It was just so accommodating and it made me feel 100 times better.”
For the first-time parents, it was the staff and the support that truly made the difference. The nurses and pediatricians were in constant contact providing updates on the overall health of the twins and how they were progressing.
“They were fine to stand there and listen to our dumb questions,” joked Rob. “They did a fantastic job of telling us what the issues were, and what Madilyn and Hugh needed to do to be able to come home.”
For Brooklynn, the nurses truly made the experience.
“Nurses are just another breed of human,” she said. “Madilyn was suffering from acid reflux, and I was so upset. The nurses took the time to teach us, answer our questions, and always made us feel better.”
The twins spent a total of 30 days in the NICU and being an hour away Brooklynn and Rob often would call the nurses when they woke up to check-in.
“We would call and say ‘how was their night?’ and I felt we were becoming annoying, but it felt like they were waiting for our call,” Brooklynn said.
Overall, the couple was very happy with the care they received, and the overall experience.
“Whenever we tell people we were in the NICU, we would get that sympathetic ‘Oh…’,” said Brooklyn. “And I’ll say ‘you don’t understand – our experience was as good as it could be in the NICU. At one point there were only 4 babies in the NICU, and we were half of them!’”
In honour of the incredible care their family received, and in celebration of World Prematurity Day (November 17), Brooklynn and Rob asked for donations to the NICU instead of presents for Madilyn and Hugh’s first birthdays.
“The whole experience was very, very impressive and we’re so grateful,” Brooklynn said.
“It was just like you see on television,” remembers Jane Cook. “Mom’s mouth was drooping, her right side was paralyzed and we knew right away she was having a stroke.”
It was December 30th, 2021 and Jane’s mom MaryJane was rushed to the emergency department at Joseph Brant Hospital where she received a shot to clear the blockage while simultaneously preparing her for transport to a regional centre.
“I was receiving regular updates from Dr. Faulkner, and received a call from the nurse with mom in the ambulance that the shot relieved the clot,” says Jane. “She said I have the best news ever and mom was a good news story for sure.”
MaryJane had been diagnosed with dementia, and had no short-term memory. As a result, the team at JBH decided to admit her to the ICU for monitoring.
“She came home thinking she was a hotel for five days,” says Jane. “The food was good, and the service she received – the people were just so kind.”
Two days later, almost to the minute, Jane was back on the phone with the same 9-1-1 operator as her dad was experiencing similar symptoms.
“He said I can’t feel my hand – get Jane,” she remembers. “He was having trouble putting words together, and wasn’t really steady on his feet.”
The paramedics quickly identified that Frank had indeed experienced a mini-stroke, and brought him to Joseph Brant Hospital.
Frank spent almost three weeks on the rehab floor, where Jane remembers the incredible staff who looked after her father and called her with regular updates.
“All of the nurses were beyond great, beyond knowledgeable, beyond kind,” she says. “The fundamental approach was ‘How can I help you today?’.”
Frank celebrated his birthday in the hospital, and Jane and her siblings worked with the team to send over spaghetti and meatballs, garlic bread and a chocolate fudge cake.
“I’m so grateful for what they did for my dad,” says Jane. “They found he was dehydrated and had an undiagnosed stroke in the past. It was a blessing in disguise.”
For Jane, Frank and MaryJane, the experience with the team and the care at JBH was second to none.
“I was so impressed with everything,” Jane says. “When I retire, I’d like to work or volunteer at JBH – that’s the environment that makes you want to do better and to be a better person.”
Harsukh Ganatra had been suffering with increasing pain and fatigue for a week, when his daughter-in-law Deepa decided it was time for a visit to the Emergency Department at JBH.
“He kept on trying to reassure us that everything was fine, he was okay, but of course, we do worry,” said Deepa. “I pushed them to come to Jo Brant because I knew he was going to get the care he needed, and that’s exactly what happened.”
Upon arrival, he was triaged and taken for bloodwork. After a thorough interview and physical exam by Dr. Hansberger, Harsukh went for a CT scan.
“Imagine our surprise when shortly after returning from diagnostic imaging, Dr. Hansberger reported Dad had a burst appendix at 83 years old,” said Deepa.
After consultation with the surgical team, Harsukh was admitted for several days of IV antibiotics and observation. He later returned to JBH to have his appendix removed.
“Throughout this entire process, from the initial visit to the Emergency Department and subsequent admission, to the final surgery, we as a family have been completely overjoyed with the level of care and communication Dad received,” said Deepa.
Deepa and her husband Kartik are making a gift to the Joseph Brant Hospital Foundation in recognition of the care Harsukh and other members of their family have received.
“We felt that the experience was so incredible and he was looked after so well, that we felt like this is something we needed to support,” said Deepa. “We wanted to ensure that everyone in our community could access the same level of services and the same level of care that we did.
For the Ganatra family, giving the gift of healthcare is a new way to give this Diwali, and are matching all gifts made up to $100,000.
“We are excited to use donation and match to encourage the wider community to support JBH, especially around the Diwali celebration, when we give thanks for our continued good health, prosperity and happiness,” said Deepa.
When Nicola St George was 41 years old, she found a lump in her breast and called her doctor immediately
“After my initial ultrasound, I was referred to the Complete Breast Care program at Joseph Brant Hospital. I received a mammogram and ultrasound where I was told that there was something worth investigating,” says Nicola. “After my tests, I met with Dr. Austin who informed me I had breast cancer.”
“When I first received my diagnosis, I was in shock,” she says. “The thought of losing my hair and my breast hit me really hard.”
After numerous tests, Nicola was scheduled to have a lumpectomy and mastectomy. After surgery, she underwent chemotherapy for 12 weeks and Herceptin for a year.
Despite the difficult journey ahead, Nicola felt confident in her doctors. “I felt really connected to Dr. Austin and I had a lot of trust in her. She was so knowledgeable and up to date with her research and always answered all my questions.”
Throughout her treatment Nicola remarks on her care. “The nurses, technicians, doctors and all the staff involved, I can’t say enough about their care. Everyone was kind and compassionate.”
Today, Nicola is feeling happy. “It almost feels like a memory that happened long ago even though it’s recent. I received unwavering support from family and friends,” says Nicola. “My cancer woke me up and put things in my life into perspective. I can’t control what’s going to happen, but I can control how I can take care of myself.”
After her treatment, Dr. Austin connected Nicola with Dense Breasts Canada.
“I advocate for women to learn their breast density and getting mammograms early,” says Nicola, “It’s important for women to be provided with the tools and knowledge to make decisions on their breast health.”
When Flora discovered a lump in her breast in April of 2019, she felt apprehensive of what lay ahead of her.
Her family doctor recommended the Complete Breast Care program at Joseph Brant Hospital, and once Flora arrived at clinic, she was surprised how positive the entire experience was.
“It wasn’t crowded, the appointments were prompt and on time, and the technicians, nurses and doctors were forthcoming and kind,” says Flora. “The machines were up-to-date, the doctors seemed very knowledgeable, and despite their busy schedule didn’t appear to be rushed. I felt that it all helped create a positive environment.”
After being called back for a second mammogram and biopsy, it was determined that Flora had stage 2 cancer. “I anticipated surgery and met with Dr. Bacopulos and Bliss, the patient navigator. They were both very forward with their information and willing to listen to my questions.”
Flora appreciated the space they gave her by providing additional resources for more information. They also were open to her using supplementary strategies to support her on his journey. All of this helped inform her decision to have a mastectomy.
“They gave me resources, and I appreciated that. It felt reassuring and I felt that they allowed me to make decisions alongside them and that I would be in good hands not only for the operation but for the journey of healing ahead of me.”
Today, Flora is feeling positive and doing well.
“I don’t think my strength is quite yet where it was before, but I feel positive. My experience at JBH was so positive because of the care and professional knowledge by all people I encountered, be they receptionist, nurses, porters or doctors. This made me feel seen and cared for, and when you feel that, it’s a good foundation for healing.”
