Patient Story
John Green spent 8 hours a day for 115 days on the palliative care floor of the West Parry Sound Health Centre, at the side of his wife of 54 years.
It was heartbreaking to watch his high school sweetheart leave him.
“Lynda had a heart problem that couldn’t be fixed, and she just got weaker and weaker,” says John. “Then one day, I held her hand as she slowly stopped breathing.”
John says the care that both Lynda and he received during those 115 days was exemplary. The nurses were attentive to Lynda, he says, keeping her comfortable and making her room as homelike as possible. John fondly recalls how one nurse brought in lilacs for Lynda’s room, brightening the spring days for his wife. “The nurses never seem to stop moving, and yet even as busy as she was, that nurse took the time to think of Lynda and bring her that bouquet,” says John. “We never felt forgotten or overlooked, we always felt like everyone on the floor knew who we were and cared for both of us.”
During his wife’s illness, and during his own health challenges over the years, John has been consistently grateful for Parry Sound hospital. “The Emergency Department here saved my life when I had an aortic dissection, and I’ve been in the operating room here four times for different reasons. The healthcare team at this hospital is smart, fast and they work so well together.”
John and Lynda moved to Parry Sound after handing over the family business in Mississauga to their son, and John remembers when the hospital was built many years ago. “To have a facility like this here is such a benefit,” he says.
To give back, John’s become a member of the Volunteer Auxiliary and now welcomes and guides people when they arrive at the hospital’s front door. “I can’t imagine a better place to volunteer or to support with a donation.”
Northern Angels
Northern Angels are a dedicated group of donors who make a 5-year commitment to support healthcare priorities in West Parry Sound. Northern Angels helps ensure that everyone in and around Parry Sound who needs hospital care can count on the most up-to-date diagnostic and treatment equipment possible. Will you become a Northern Angel?
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The West Parry Sound Health Centre Foundation is the charitable arm of the hospital in Parry Sound, Ontario. Our mission is to inspire donors to help fund the euipment and building needs of the West Parry Sound Health Centre. Join us today and share in our commitment to ensuring excellent healthcare for everyone in the Parry Sound region
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About Our Health Centre
On April 8, 2005 through the combined efforts of seasonal and year-round residents and all three levels of government, a new health centre opened in Parry Sound. Situated several hours away from larger centres, the 70-bed acute care facility is an innovative health care institution accredited with exemplary standing.
With close to 700 employees, the West Parry Sound Health Centre is the largest employer in the area. WPSHC is an ultra-modern rural teaching hospital affiliated with the Northern Ontario School of Medicine and Canadore College.
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