Sponsored by MNP
What I do at CCH:
I work in CCH’s ICU, caring for the sickest patients admitted to our hospital. As a Respirologist, breathing issues are my specialty. Life support, medications, and machinery like ventilators are some of the interventions I use every day, so our patients have open airways to breathe through severe illness or injury. I also work with the hospital’s resuscitation group attending life threatening emergencies across the hospital, like heart attacks and stroke. Life on the unit is busy but helping patients and their families when times are tough makes the hard work worthwhile.
A little bit about me …
My family moved to Canada from Syria when I was five years old. I grew up in Ottawa and we struggled in our new life. My parents went through a lot of hardship to give us opportunities in Canada, and I was determined to help them support our family. In high school, I worked two to three jobs on top of my studies. Outside school, I learned a lot about people during shifts at Giant Tiger and Wendy’s.
Back home in Syria, my mother’s family had a medical background, while my father’s family worked in engineering. Everyone wondered whose footsteps I would follow growing up in Canada, but when I had the opportunity to volunteer at a hospital, I fell in love with medicine.
Why I’m dancing for CCH:
I did my undergrad in Ottawa, went to Western University for medical school, then came back to Ottawa for my residency and fellowship in Respirology. I knew Dr. Paul Westergaard from med school, and he suggested I try some shifts in Cornwall’s ICU. To be honest, I fell in love with the people here. This community is special. We work with a great team, from my physician colleagues to our excellent nurses and everyone who works so hard on the frontlines and behind the scenes to help support our patients. I’ve worked at other hospitals, and CCH is a very caring environment. After commuting the first two years, I decided to make the community my home. I’m proud to team up with CCHF, supporting my team, our patients, our community.
My project:
I’m fundraising and dancing to win $50,000 in equipment upgrades for my team in the ICU.
Our project offers a combination of equipment to help us care for our patients on the unit, including:
- A new bedside cardiac monitor.
- A carbon dioxide module add-on to help us monitor our patients’ vital signs.
- A triple channel infusion pump to deliver fluids, nutrients, or medications to our patients.
Please consider pledging me in my efforts to support local healthcare. CCHF will provide an official charitable receipt for any donation over $20 that contributes to my fundraising.
