Stories That Inspire - Mackenzie Health

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Stories That Inspire

From front-line staff to volunteers, donors and patients, our community continues to tell Mackenzie Health’s story. It is the moments that define hope, celebrate innovation and provide comfort in the most uncertain times that continue to touch the lives of everyone in our hospitals and our community-based programs and services . Read our Stories That Inspire and learn why we continue to ensure the ultimate in health care is at the forefront of every patient's health care journey.

An impactful volunteer journey with Sally Sally David's unwavering commitment to Mackenzie Health Foundation truly represents what volunteering is all about. As a resident of the Mackenzie Health community since 1991, volunteering has been integral to Sally's identity, offering deep pride and purpose.

From struggling to breathe to regaining his voice: Jack’s incredible recovery Jack Keys was enjoying retired life surrounded by his family when his life would take an unexpected turn. Following a series of medical tests, Jack was diagnosed with stomach cancer.

Tiny patients receive wraparound care in NICU In the quiet corridors of Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), a precious little one, affectionately called “Baby L,” is fast asleep. Born prematurely, he found his first home in the warm embrace of an incubator, surrounded by the soft hum of life-saving machines designed to cater to the special needs of premature and high-risk infants.

Halloween Magic for a Cause We want to thank Chris Ainsworth for his annual Thornhill Woods Haunted House that raised $61,724 for Mackenzie Health Foundation.

From darkness to light: Otello’s mental health journey Overcoming a dark chapter battling drug and substance abuse in the late 80s, Otello felt compelled to be a source of light and help others in need.

Defying the odds: a tale of resilience and triumph in the face of cancer Imagine being a survivor of childhood leukemia – after surviving a horrific disease, you build a career and become a proud mother only to receive a diagnosis that you now have an aggressive form of breast cancer. For Santrina, an employee here at Mackenzie Health, that is exactly what happened.

Family emergency inspires a gift of gratitude Three-year-old son Valentin had a seizure and was rushed by ambulance to the Magna Emergency Department at Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital.

Quick access to critical care saved Guisen’s life A day after Guisen He, 75, finished his second round of chemotherapy for stomach cancer, his wife realized something wasn’t right.

Stepping towards a brighter future in mental health As part of an interdisciplinary team, Maureen offers skills and expertise to provide care that centres around a patient's unique needs, ensuring everyone receives the best possible care.

Overcoming challenges and empowering patients through Mental Health Outpatient Services Kadeesha Paul is a recreation therapist supporting Mackenzie Health’s Mental Health Outpatient Services, located at Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital.

Empowering people: Anna’s mission to help prevent and treat stroke Anna Sewell’s world was forever changed when, at the young age of nine, she witnessed her grandmother endure the effects of two strokes.

Nurse Olivia Zompanti: A Hero on and off the Clock It was only a split second, but Olivia Zompanti knew she had to take action fast. Olivia, an emergency room nurse, was off duty from her busy post at Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital and had just walked through the doors of her gym when she heard a shout for help.

When respiratory illnesses collide Jax was on day four of a fever that would not break. Her cough was getting worse, and her energy level had gone down dramatically.

Helping kids overcome fear Elaine Skene loves working with kids. It’s something she’s always wanted to do. As a Child Life Specialist with Mackenzie Health at Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital, her main objective is to help kids overcome fear.

Annual donor leaves generous legacy behind Dr. Gayle Ellis was a very private person. In fact, she was so private that her friends, and co-executors to her estate, Joan Brink and Sylvia Ohlis, were surprised to learn her valued estate was close to $1.9 million and was to be donated to Mackenzie Health Foundation.

From sepsis to kidney surgery: Susan's fight to get her health back Susan Gerschkow, 79, was having trouble breathing and felt extremely dizzy and weak. She didn't know what was happening; but before she knew it, her husband dialed 9-1-1, and the ambulance rushed her to Magna Emergency at Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital.

Paying it forward to thank health care heroes Our journey might seem steady, straight, predictable, and then out of nowhere, something happens. The plans change. Sometimes the change is bright and beautiful.

Choosing to leave a legacy: Atta Hussain The spirit of generosity defines the Hussain family’s legacy. Atta Hussain is a devoted father and grandfather not only for his own family but also for many local and international Islamic communities.

Giving back is at the heart of Dr. Bishinsky’s work Dr. Jonathan Bishinsky is one of the many physicians at the forefront of providing cardiac care to western York Region. He joined Mackenzie Health in 2004 as a consultant in the Division of Cardiology.

Leaving a legacy to ensure care for future generations Joan Smith and her family won’t hesitate to tell you: Mackenzie Health holds a special place in their hearts and has been an important part of many milestones.

Strides to success Jordan Choo, 33, placed first in the 2022 Strides for Mackenzie Health – a 5km run/walk that draws more than 1,000 community members from across York Region and beyond.

Giving birth was a matter of life or death One of Michelle Corsbie’s biggest fears came to life when she was rushed to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) shortly after delivering her newborn son.

Compassionate care during a stressful time – Salvatore’s trip to the Emergency Department Like many parents in our community, Claudio and Monia experienced first-hand what it’s like to have a child fall ill during the ongoing spike of respiratory illnesses being seen across Ontario.

The Ultimate Care is in the details: Karen Addison’s cancer journey With a Team and Technology That Put the Patient at the Centre, Karen Moved Seamlessly Between Mackenzie Health’s Two Hospitals

Enjoying the big and little thrills at Strides With a passion for running and visiting Canada’s Wonderland, one of her favourite places on Earth, Nicole explains there is nothing better than doing what she loves in an environment where she finds happiness and comfort.

Mothers and daughters in nursing Randa is one of many mothers paving the way in the nursing field, and is part of several mother-daughter duos working at Mackenzie Health.

A virtual care success story For 33 years, Bernard Lock worked at IBM where he was tasked with standardizing the design and structure of computer operating systems. Little did Bernie know that decades later, it would be technology that would save him from COVID-19.

Mary's miraculous story of survival against all odds The birth of a grandchild is one of life’s greatest blessings. It’s the very reason Mary took a month off work to support her daughter during this new chapter.

Following in her mother’s footsteps: a student’s journey to a career in nursing After years of studying sciences and being exposed first-hand to her mother, an incredible role model, and long-time employee at Mackenzie Health, Eti knew her calling was health care.

Diana’s story Receiving care at a hospital as a child can be a nerve-racking experience, but for Diana it was an eye-opening event, leading her to a successful career in health care.

Surviving COVID-19: Linda's story of hope and determination In early 2020, 70-year-old Linda embarked on an exhilarating two-week cruise along the Nile River in Egypt. Linda never imagined this voyage would leave her fighting for her life in the ICU at Mackenzie Health.

No matter the circumstances Mackenzie Health nurses answer the call Rozeny (Jing), Registered Practical Nurse at Mackenzie Health embodies the definition of an exceptional nurse.

From patient to diabetes educator at Mackenzie Health’s Diabetes Education Centre – This is Sarah’s story At only 19, Sarah was diagnosed with diabetes. If you ask Sarah, it wasn’t research or family history that prompted her to get checked.

Cultivating our culture of generosity As both a donor and physician, Dr. Steven Youssoufian feels a strong sense of responsibility towards Mackenzie Health. “If you have the opportunity to lead, you absolutely should,” he says.

Dr. Bill Butler promotes culture of generosity in retirement For almost 40 years, Dr. Bill Butler called Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital home. In the summer of 1981 Dr. Butler joined the Mackenzie Health Department of Anesthesia and in early 2020, he made the difficult decision to retire his scrubs.

An inspirational story of recovery Phyllis Mensah remembers feeling like someone shook her awake. The wife and mother of three was in a deep sleep just after 1 a.m. last July when she suddenly sat bolt upright. "I noticed my phone was off and I had missed calls," she says. The calls were from her husband, Henry, who often worked late training shift-work clients at his Scarborough gym, Fitness Zion. When Phyllis dialed Henry's cell, she didn't like what she heard.

Leading by example to support the future of excellence at mackenzie health Dr. Kogon takes pride in being a husband, father and surgeon. He donates to Mackenzie Health to thank the community for allowing him to achieve his life goals. “I consider myself blessed in many ways,” he says.

Living with schizophrenia "Drawing is both an escape from the world and a way to connect to it," says Lindsay Thompson. "It connects me to the world outside my mind and at the same time access my inner thoughts." For Lindsay Thompson, art has become her therapy - her happy place - as she continues to cope with and manage her mental illness. At the age of 17, Lindsay was diagnosed with schizophrenia and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) at Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital (at the time York Central).

Shaw Clinic a lifeline to mom, daughter 9/11 changed everything for nine-year-old Tricia. At school, the little girl imagined planes flying into the building, black smoke billowing and the walls collapsing around her and her big sister, who was also attending school in a nearby classroom. She felt panic overwhelm her as she worried about her parents being in an accident.

Young dancer shares story of challenge and inspiration for future Growing up, the only thing Sabrina Cannella knew was dance. At least five days of every week, Sabrina danced competitively. She was in and out of school and when friends asked if she wanted to hang out, her immediate and unequivocal response was always, ‘No, sorry, I have dance.' You can imagine the devastation when the once healthy and active girl had to acknowledge she could no longer do what she loved most.

This Is how I give back for my second chance: stroke survivor "I wonder if I'll walk again," a thought that went through Hasnain (Hass) Mawji's mind repeatedly in the wake of his devastating stroke in February 2016. Evidently, for Hass, that fear wasn't enough to stop him from overcoming overwhelming odds when the hemorrhagic stroke left him with a paralyzed leg and arm at the age of 44.

For me, laughter was the best medicine When Mary Granicolo received the devastating diagnosis in August 2016 that she had breast cancer, she was nervous, anxious and afraid. With no history of breast cancer in her family, Mary wasn't sure what to expect, or how she and her family would get through this.

Adriana’s spirit inspires bond of caring "The wolf huffed and he puffed, but he couldn't slow Adriana's spirit down." A cartoon image of the wolf from Little Red Riding Hood is just one of the many images of fictional characters and their messages of inspiration on posters covering the walls of Adriana Miele's patient room at Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital. In fact, not much dims the spirit of this special young woman.

The impact of practicing philanthropy Dr. Matilda Ng has been practicing philanthropy for as long as she’s been practicing medicine.

Sheldon Richmond didn’t even feel sick when he almost lost his life to pneumonia It was Aug. 24, 2016 when Sheldon was an hour late coming home from his job as a pharmacist and his wife of 34 years grew worried. "She called my cell phone and I told her I was in the driveway. I think I was sleeping," Sheldon said. "We called an ambulance and good thing we did, within two blocks of the house, my oxygen levels and blood pressure dropped. That's when they put on the sirens."

Glen Mccarthy – stroke recovery inspired by passion for cycling How, Glen McCarthy wondered, did I end up lying immobile on my back, staring at the four walls of a hospital room? The avid cyclist - who was in prime physical condition at 56 years old - was having trouble comprehending that the night before he had been rushed by paramedics to the Nick and Rosanne Cortellucci Family Emergency at Mackenzie Health, just in time to receive the critical clot-busting drug tPA used to treat embolic or thromboticstrokes.