Archives des Patient Care | Page 3 of 8 | The Ottawa Hospital Foundation

Published: August 2023

For almost a year, the last thing Aida Attar remembered about a trip to her friend’s cottage on August 27, 2022, was they had stopped for snacks in Smith Falls. The next thing she recalled was waking up in the ICU of the Civic Campus of The Ottawa Hospital — two months later. She had been airlifted to our hospital’s Trauma Centre after suffering a seizure while swimming and then drowning as a result. While she had been resuscitated, this young woman was clinging to life and multiple specialty teams came together to help save her.

It was that late summer day in August when the 18-year-old university student was swimming in a lake with her friend, Taylor. Taylor has since explained to Aida that while they were together in the water, Aida started staring off. “I just suddenly looked off in the distance. I let go of the floating dock and I went under,” explains Aida. “My friend thought maybe I just dunked my head in the water to cool off, but then she grabbed me by the hair and pulled me up to the surface.”

What no one realized at the time was she’d had a seizure, which incapacitated her and caused her to go under.

The New Campus Development

The Ottawa Hospital's new campus will be home to the most advanced trauma centre in eastern Ontario. Learn more about what this state-of-the-art hospital will mean for patients like Aida.

From that moment, there was a flurry of activity to help revive the young woman. As Aida’s friend worked to keep her head above the surface, Taylor’s mom hurried into the water to help bring Aida to shore as she remained unresponsive. Meanwhile, Aida’s grandfather rushed away on an ATV to meet the paramedics, who had been called and were trying to reach the remote area as quickly as possible.

With help on the way, intense efforts continued to try to revive Aida, including CPR. But by this time, she started vomiting and her jaw was locked – so she was aspirating her vomit. It was a terrifying situation for everyone involved who were all desperately trying to help Aida.

The race to get lifesaving care

Paramedics rushed the young woman to the Perth and Smiths Falls District Hospital – still unresponsive. Aida’s family, many of whom have cottages in the area, quickly assembled to be by her side, including her aunt, Dr. Catherine Mann.

Thankfully, Aida was resuscitated and stabilized thanks to a team there led by Dr. Annelise Miller, but it was determined she needed specialized care, so the decision was made to airlift her to The Ottawa Hospital’s Civic Campus, home of the region’s only trauma centre for adults.

Her care in Smiths Falls was crucial to what would follow, according to Dr. Erin Rosenberg, an ICU physician at The Ottawa Hospital. “The Smiths Falls team did an absolutely incredible job of resuscitating her and getting her back. When she was transferred to us, her ARDS, or acute respiratory distress syndrome, was so bad that we couldn’t provide her with enough oxygen, even with the ventilator,” she recalls. “That’s why she needed to go to the University of Ottawa Heart Institute to be put on the ECMO.”

The team at Civic Campus, led by Dr. Akshai Iyengar, stabilized Aida and then she was transferred to the Heart Institute through the tunnels of the hospital. She was placed on the ECMO machine, and the wait began.

An ECMO (extra corporeal membrane oxygenation) is used to pump blood outside the body to a heart-lung machine that removes carbon dioxide and sends rewarmed, oxygen-filled blood back to tissues in the body. This machine allows the blood to bypass the heart and lungs, giving them time to rest and heal.

Aida remained on the machine, in a medically induced coma, for 35 days while her family endured an excruciating wait. “I’m grateful for all the work the Heart Institute did to get me on the ECMO and for not giving up on me over that time,” says Aida.

Youth was on her side

The first glimmer of hope was weeks later, in early October, when Aida was removed from the ECMO machine and returned to the ICU at the Civic Campus – she was still in critical condition. That’s when Dr. Rosenberg first met Aida.

“We see a lot of really sick people in the ICU, but what we don't often see is people who are as young as her. When we do, it can feel like the stakes are higher — there's an entire life ahead of her.”

– Dr. Erin Rosenberg

“We see a lot of really sick people in the ICU, but what we don’t often see is people who are as young as her. When we do, it can feel like the stakes are higher — there’s an entire life ahead of her.”

Aida’s age was also on her side. “I told her parents at the time, if she was 40 or 60, we would be having a very different conversation. I don’t think she would be here,” recalls Dr. Rosenberg. “What was on her side was the fact that she was 19 years old. Her brain and her body will be a lot more able to get through this compared to someone older than her.”

Aida’s family continued to be by her side – watching and waiting. “She had turned 19 during that time, and her body has been through so much,” recalls her aunt, Dr. Mann. “She’d been under anesthesia for five weeks. She was slowly weaned from that, and then her lungs had to get used to not being ventilated. So the care team took gradual steps to remove her from the ventilator. First, it was 30 minutes, then a couple of hours, and they continued that process.”

A weakened state and confusion

When Aida finally regained consciousness, she was weak after being in a critical state for two months. “I had no muscle tone. I couldn’t sit up on my own. I couldn’t walk. I don’t even remember being able to move my arms to scratch myself because I was so weak.”

“I couldn’t retain information. It was hard, but the team helped get me through those moments including one physiotherapist in particular, Michelle Cummings. She had a huge impact on my recovery.”

– Aida Attar

Aida’s immune system was also weak, and she was at risk of infections. Often, she would open her eyes and get very confused. “Any time she would sort of come to, or even if she didn’t have her eyes open, we would provide her some comfort as to what happened and where she was — even if we had to do that repeatedly,” says Dr. Rosenberg. “It was just like the first time she was hearing it again.”

Finally, Aida was able to move out of ICU and into what’s called AMA (Acute Monitoring Area) for about a week. There she had the tracheotomy tube, catheter, and feeding tube removed – she was able to start eating on her own again.

Although there were some signs of improvement and Aida was surrounded by an exceptional care team, she remembers going through many emotions. “I felt very alone. Even if my family had been there 23 hours and 59 minutes of the day, that one minute alone felt like a year. I was shy, and I didn’t understand what was going on. I couldn’t retain information,” explains Aida. “It was hard, but the team helped get me through those moments including one physiotherapist in particular, Michelle Cummings. She had a huge impact on my recovery.”

How our Rehabilitation Centre helps Aida’s recovery

The CAREN system

CAREN stands for Computer-Assisted Rehabilitation Environment system. The 180-degree screens work in combination with a moving platform, a remote-controlled treadmill, and surround sound.

Learn More

As Aida’s recovery continued, she started to understand the complexity of what her body had been through because of this traumatic experience. By mid-November, she moved to our Rehabilitation Centre at the General Campus – this would be another big step in Aida’s recovery.

The care in rehab was two-fold — to help both her body and her brain recover. Part of learning to walk independently again involved using the CAREN system, a unique 3D virtual reality system funded through community support in partnership with the Canadian Armed Forces. But because she had an anoxic brain injury, caused by a complete lack of oxygen to the brain while she was underwater, a big part of rehab was focused on treating her brain injury. “My memory was just shot — I couldn’t remember anything short-term,” says Aida. “My speech was mixed up. My brain was not braining, and it needed some help.”

Incredibly, after everything Aida went through, on December 8, 2022, she was able to go home. She walked out of the Rehab Centre on her own, and her memory continued to improve. It was a recovery beyond what Dr. Rosenberg expected.

“She actually exceeded our expectations in terms of how fast she would get better.”

– Dr. Erin Rosenberg

“I remember initially preparing her family to anticipate her being in the ICU until December and probably in the hospital longer than that. So, she actually exceeded our expectations in terms of how fast she would get better.”

Today, Aida is getting her life back on track — she’s stronger each day. She’s driving again, working in retail, and plans to return to Carleton University in the fall to continue her studies in neuroscience. “I had finished my first year of university before the accident. I worked as a research assistant in a neuroscience lab at Carleton in the summer of 2022. In fact, I was working on a traumatic brain injury project at the time.”

Deep gratitude for those who saved her life

While she doesn’t remember many details from the first half of her hospital stay, Aida is grateful for the team that gave her a fighting chance. “I would be dead if they hadn’t done all that they did. The doctors just worked so hard. I mean so many things went wrong. I had blood infections and allergic reactions — I was just a hot mess. They kept going — they didn’t lose hope or give up on me. It was the next level of care, and I don’t think I would have got through it without that.”

“The healthcare team works hard, and these people worked hard. We’re deeply grateful to everyone, in particular Drs. Iyengar and Rosenberg. It was traumatizing for our whole family and that team never gave up on Aida.”

– Dr. Catherine Mann

Every step of the way, there was exceptional care — something that’s not lost on Dr. Mann. “There were a whole bunch of incredible people and a couple that stand out. When Aida arrived at the Civic Campus, Dr. Iyengar was there, and he was devoted. Then Dr. Rosenberg was there for each day when Aida returned to the Civic’s ICU in October and so many others.”

That’s what inspired Dr. Mann, who was a physician at The Ottawa Hospital for 22 years, to make a gift to The Ottawa Hospital — a thank you to the team that saved her niece’s life. “The healthcare team works hard, and these people worked hard. We’re deeply grateful to everyone, in particular Drs. Iyengar and Rosenberg. It was traumatizing for our whole family and that team never gave up on Aida.”

For Dr. Rosenberg to see this success story is what she loves about her job. Not every story ends this way but when it does, it’s rewarding for the whole team. “Aida came back to visit in the ICU a couple of weeks ago, just to say hi to everyone. And everyone was so happy to see her — they remember her as a patient, all the nurses. I think seeing those success stories are really, really rewarding for us. And I think it’s why we do what we do.”

Stepping back into the water

In late May of 2023, Aida was visiting her aunt’s cottage and she went back into the water for the first time since the accident. As she felt the cold water on her feet and legs, memories started to flood back to her. “I instantly remembered when I was in the water with Taylor. It took me back to that day, and that was shocking because I didn’t think I would have remembered that.”

While she’s grateful to have her life back, there is still the unknown of what caused the seizure that day. Tests continue, but for now she takes precautions like wearing a lifejacket when swimming. “That piece is also hard for me. It’s hard to have gone through all that and not have an answer as to why this happened.”

But what she does know, is she wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for each person who played a part in her recovery, and for that she’s grateful.

Categories: Donors, Rehab, Trauma, Trauma

If there’s one word that comes to mind when you first meet Major James Morrison (Ret’d), it’s “dedication.” He is deeply dedicated to his country, his wife, and our healthcare system. It’s a loyalty that spanned decades — the major will be 100 years old in 2024. He was born the same year The Ottawa Hospital Civic campus first opened in 1924.

Major James Morrison with his wife, Betty.

Every year, for the last 29 years, Major Morrison has generously donated to The Ottawa Hospital.

“I owe it to the hospital for the care they gave me.”

— Major James Morrison

When asked what motivates him to give so loyally, he answers with a charming smile. “Well, mostly because I was a customer there. And I owe it to the hospital for the care they gave me.”

First, it was heart issues. Then, ten years ago, prostate cancer.

“I was treated very well there,” he says, recounting how, at the end of his cancer treatment, he got to ring the bell not once, but eight times.

“Because that’s the Navy tradition. That’s either noon or midnight,” he explains, referring to the tradition of ringing of the ship’s bell eight times to mark the “end of watch,” or in some instances, as a nautical euphemism for finished.

Despite Major Morrison’s nod to this special tradition, it was not the Navy where he spent his long career, but the Royal Canadian Air Force, where he enlisted at just 18 years old.

“I was only 118 pounds and they said, ‘We can’t take you until you’re 120. Go home and fatten up.’ So, I went home and fattened up,” he recounts.

During the Second World War, he was posted to the Southeast Asia Air Command, and following the war, he transported prisoners to the War Crimes Trials.

Major Morrison married the love of his life, Betty, in 1951, and together they started a family. His career took them to various posts across Canada, and in 1970, he was an Officer Commanding at the Canadian Armed Forces Operation Centre in Ottawa, where he delivered instructions when the War Measures Act was invoked on October 16 of that year.

Later in life, he began patrolling public areas of the airport as the Ottawa Airport Watch, and Betty accompanied him on many of those night shifts. He made his final patrol in January 2014 — on his ninetieth birthday.

These are but a few milestones on a journey that has spanned nearly 10 decades on this earth, from the highs of first enlisting as a young man to the lows of his wife’s diagnosis with Alzheimer’s. “She doesn’t know who I am anymore.”

The two have been married 72 years, and not a day goes by that he doesn’t visit her.

It’s clear Major Morrison is loyal to the core. And while many of his stories are about the past, it’s the future he wants people in Ottawa to focus on; and he encourages others to support The Ottawa Hospital’s Campaign to Create Tomorrow.

“You should invest in this because you may need it in the future at some point.”

— Major James Morrison

The $500-million campaign is the largest in Ottawa’s history and sets in motion a vision to completely reshape healthcare by building the most technologically advanced hospital in Canada and taking groundbreaking research and innovation to unprecedented heights. And it’s something Major Morrison believes is worth supporting.

“You should invest in this because you may need it in the future at some point,” he offers as wise advice to generations that follow. “This new campus is for them.”

The new hospital is expected to open in 2028, and we would love to see Major Morrison there on opening day. “I was sort of looking forward to seeing it,” he says.

Major James Morrison, thank you for your service to our country and our community.

Categories: Cancer, Cancer, Creating Tomorrow

Published: April 2023

If you pass by the new campus development site on Carling Avenue, you’ll notice action. Construction on the 50-acre site is in its first phase — that means prepping the land for the new hospital campus and building the parking garage. After years of planning and re-imagining what the future of healthcare could look like, the vision to replace the near century-old Civic Campus of The Ottawa Hospital is becoming reality.

Once completed, the new state-of-the-art campus will be a catalyst for reshaping healthcare for patients across eastern Ontario, western Quebec, and Nunavut. The potential for research breakthroughs could be limitless, especially when seeking new treatments and finding cures for cancer, stroke, Parkinson’s, ALS, and other diseases.

When the new campus opens its doors, it will build on Ottawa’s leadership as a hub for healthcare, research, and training — attracting the best medical minds and scientists in the world. And most importantly, it will transform the patient care experience.

The New Campus Development

The Ottawa Hospital’s new state-of-the-art campus will be the most patient-centred and technologically advanced research hospital in the country. Together, with your support, we have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to completely transform healthcare.

What will you experience when you step into the new hospital campus?

A project of this magnitude includes a vast team, but with one shared goal — to create an exceptional experience for our patients, their families, and our staff.

That’s where Jason-Emery Groën comes into the picture — he’s the Vice-President, Design Director at HDR, an architecture and engineering firm working on the project. Jason-Emery has over two decades of experience on a global scale — his design experience is wide-ranging, including complex multi-billion-dollar healthcare facilities and campuses.

“Our team views this project as an extremely rare, perhaps once-in-a-generation opportunity to redefine spaces and environments where healthcare is delivered.”

– Jason-Emery Groën

“Our team views this project as an extremely rare, perhaps once-in-a-generation opportunity to redefine spaces and environments where healthcare is delivered,” explains Jason-Emery.

As plans continue to take shape for the design of the new hospital campus, Jason-Emery can help us visualize the healthcare experience. He starts from the moment you arrive at the main plaza and enter through the front door into the bright and open concourse along the front of the new building. “The concourse is a double-height space with two main towers that span across the main entrance.”

Straight ahead will be the information desk, where some key, high-volume clinics are nearby. This will minimize the travel distance for most people coming and going from the hospital. To the left will be the taller in-patient tower, containing a series of in-patient rooms with a dedicated focus, such as the mother-baby unit, critical care, and acute care. To the right will be the tower that will house a host of other services, including in-patient and out-patient mental health services.

As Jason-Emery explains, there is a key objective in mind when planning the main plaza of the building. “It’s to bring everyone to a central and similar location upon arrival. As visitors move through the main corridors, the design aligns these along the exterior of the building facing the main plaza so, you can always look outside and see where you came from. That is a very simple human requirement, and we feel it’s very important in a space that is about wellness.”

In episode #81 of Pulse Podcast, listen to Jason-Emery Groën describe the future of healthcare as plans continue for the new campus development site on Carling Avenue.

Listen Now:

What will the new trauma centre mean for patients?

How patients arrive at the new campus in emergency situations will also be a newly designed experience — one that’s intended to deliver care as quickly as possible. From dedicated access routes for ambulances to a rooftop helipad to state-of-the-art surgical suites and operating rooms with the most advanced technology, this will all contribute to a more streamlined ebb and flow for patients and staff.

Our hospital is home to the only Level 1 Trauma Centre for adults in eastern Ontario, serving 1.3 million, primarily in the Ottawa regions, but some coming from as far away as Nunavut, and the need for care continues to increase. Over the last five years, there has been an approximate 40% increase in trauma codes activated by the team, with falls and motor vehicle collisions as the leading causes of injuries.

For Dr. Edmund Kwok — the Deputy Head of Quality, Safety & Performance in the Department of Emergency Medicine at The Ottawa Hospital — the new efficient flow of the Trauma Centre will be a game changer for this team.

“We’re in the early stages of planning, but part of that includes trying to understand from a care perspective what’s the most effective, efficient way to deliver the care for these patients,” says Dr. Kwok. “That includes things like proximity to key resources like CT scans and operating rooms.”

The plan for new surgical suites is an interventional platform, meaning it will bring together surgical suites and radiology all on a single floor. “That is fundamental to the core of the services delivered in a trauma centre,” explains Jason-Emery. “A lot of advancements are happening in that sphere of healthcare. For example, hybrid operating rooms with space built in for diagnostic imaging to take place right in the room. So, the design needs to be flexible for future technological changes.”

Intentional design that considers the patient and their loved ones

As Dr. Kwok explains, time is of the essence when seconds matter, so deliberate design is key for the trauma centre. “We want a design where patients will flow through with as little physical movement as possible. We’re also looking at how people interact with the space around the patient. For example, how do we design the placement of equipment in the trauma bay? When the patient does need to be moved, how do we seamlessly move not only the patient but also their whole care team?”

“I think we have the ingredients for a real world-leading trauma centre here. I think this is a foundational piece to attract talent. It will have a kind of domino effect where people are excited and they will want to come and learn and practice.”

– Dr. Edmund Kwok

Also considered in the planning will be the patient’s family and loved ones. Whether they arrive with the patient via ambulance or on their own, these loved ones are anxious for information. “It can be quite stressful for those loved ones,” explains Dr. Kwok. “We need to provide them with a quiet, private space where our social workers and other team members can communicate with them — away from the hectic action that is happening in the trauma bay. Those are important pieces that we need to think about.”

From the physical design of the new trauma centre to the human factor considerations for patients, staff, and families, there will be a long-term impact. “I think we have the ingredients for a real world-leading trauma centre here. I think this is a foundational piece to attract talent. It will have a kind of domino effect where people are excited and they will want to come and learn and practice,” says Dr. Kwok.

How will single-patient rooms change the patient experience?

For patients who are admitted to the hospital, the new campus experience will be transformational. The most significant change will be single-patient rooms — this is becoming the gold standard for new hospitals around the world.

“This has been part of the communication and engagement with many community members. Imagine seeing the land and the sky simultaneously — it is important for many cultures. Just having the ability to see that, frankly for anyone, we think is fantastic.”

– Jason-Emery Groën

When you enter the patient room, you will see full-length windows, intentionally giving patients an unobstructed view from their bed of the sky to the ground. It seems simple, but this is an important part of the wellness journey. “This has been part of the communication and engagement with many community members. Imagine seeing the land and the sky simultaneously — it is important for many cultures. Just having the ability to see that, frankly for anyone, we think is fantastic,” says Jason-Emery.

Giving patients greater control over their environment is also an important design consideration. For example, the design team is exploring the possibility of using “smart glass” to build in more customization. The specialized glass can darken or turn opaque, allowing a patient to adjust the amount of light coming into the room with the touch of a button.

There will be a bedside terminal integrated with a digital smart screen that will allow staff, patient, and their loved ones to track health information. It will also help keep patients connected with people outside the hospital.

A key design element of the patient room also includes the private washroom and the patient’s ability to move in and out of it. “This is quite an innovative design,” explains Jason-Emery. “We are studying a double-door system that slides open to provide four times the amount of clearance and access to the space than is typical in a hospital patient washroom. This is important in terms of thinking about the need for healthcare moving forward, an increasingly elderly population with mobility challenges. So being able to widen that access in a way that still is discreet and promotes its privacy is being factored into the design.”

While each patient room will include space for a loved one to spend the night comfortably, family lounges are being designed as well. “It’s also about families having appropriate spaces to gather,” explains Jason-Emery. “Even though we’ve created a single-patient room, that doesn’t mean it can accommodate a large family or gathering. Even beyond that, what if a family might have a particular ceremony they wish to partake in? Could they smudge, for example, or partake in other cultural activities?”

How will the new campus prioritize accessibility?

While the patient rooms will be fully accessible, the new hospital campus will be a welcoming place for everyone. “Accessibility has been embedded into all aspects of the design process of this project,” explains Marnie Peters, the accessibility expert for the new hospital campus.

It goes beyond the washroom in the patient’s room with the double sliding doors and the direct route from the patient’s bed to the toilet or the roll-in shower. “We want every washroom to be accessible. So, anybody — staff, visitors, patients — can use any bathroom. This is a basic human need,” explains Marnie.

Another key factor is making sure all spaces are accessible for people using mobility devices and other health equipment. There’s also the consideration of clear directional signage that’s easy for people to understand. Marnie explains that asking a patient to follow the red dots to get where they need to go might not be possible for someone who is colour blind or has low or no vision. “So, we’re going to look at different strategies for signage and wayfinding, and how that works together. This will complement the seamless architecture in terms of direct and intuitive routes and making it easy for people to find their destination,” says Marnie.

Even arriving at the hospital will provide patients, their families, and staff with more ease when it comes to accessibility. There will be 72 accessible parking spaces, including a large number that will be van-accessible parking spots, and 144 limited mobility parking spaces — which are meant for those who might not need a larger accessible spot, but still need closeness to the entry.

“It's an honor and a pleasure to be working with a really talented group of people, but also to be able to make sure that this premier hospital will be fully inclusive for everybody in the community.”

– Marnie Peters

Another new aspect of the design will be exterior moving sidewalks to help reduce fatigue and allow people to get to their destinations with less stress. As the detailed design process continues, Marnie will be there with a specific focus to create a welcoming environment for all. “It’s an honour and a pleasure to be working with a really talented group of people, but also to be able to make sure that this premier hospital will be fully inclusive for everybody in the community.”

The future is closer than ever

While the design work continues and the early construction phase moves forward, the pieces are starting to take shape. The future home of the new campus offers an incredible opportunity to provide the space for state-of-the-art care and recovery for patients. Research will also be a vital component — our world-leading research will be integrated into every aspect of the campus. This gives patients access to innovative and potentially life-saving therapies — building on the successes we’ve seen to date. The impact of what happens inside will have a ripple effect through the region, across the country, and around the world. Ultimately, patients will be the ones who see the real benefit.

As we head into the 100th anniversary of the Civic Campus next year, we are once again building a hospital for future generations. But this time, it will pave the way for a transformation of healthcare unlike anything we’ve seen before. For Dr. Kwok, it means having a building that matches the capabilities of the incredibly talented people working there. “I think it’s time for Ottawa to have a re-design, a bigger hospital, and trauma centre for sure. We will need the capacity physically to deal with what’s asked of us. So, it will be great for the city, for the region.”

Categories: Creating Tomorrow, Creating Tomorrow

Published: April 2023

Find out why he credits a “prehab” study for his quick recovery

In May 2021, Christopher Wanczycki’s oncologist gave him some unexpected bad news — there was a two-inch tumour in his rectum. Five weeks after his January 2022 cancer surgery, the 63-year-old was back on the cross-country ski trails. He credits his quick recovery to participating in a national “prehab” clinical trial led by researchers at The Ottawa Hospital.

“Without this program, I can’t imagine what my recovery would have been like,” he says. “I would highly recommend it for anyone in my shoes getting ready for surgery and for post-surgery recovery.”

Christopher underwent aggressive radiation and chemotherapy to shrink the stage 3B tumour in his rectum, and his oncologist recommended surgery to confirm all the cancer was gone.

“I was kind of beaten up at that point, and my oncologist had mentioned that it would take a couple of months for the effects of the chemotherapy to leave my system,” he remembers. “At a final chemotherapy infusion round, I was advised to bulk up, to just eat whatever I could to gain back the weight before my surgery.”

Christopher had lost 37 pounds during chemo and had little appetite. In addition, the swelling and numbness in his legs and feet from chemo made walking uncomfortable.

He took the time between the end of his chemotherapy in October 2021 and before his January 2022 surgery to try to gain some weight back, start some mild exercise, and return to his regular activities.

That’s when prehab kicked in. At the suggestion of his cancer coach, a person assigned through the hospital to help patients navigate their cancer journey, Christopher agreed to join one of the world’s largest prehab clinical trials in November 2021, led by Dr. Daniel McIsaac and his team.

What is prehab?

“Prehab is a bit like training for a race, but instead you’re training for surgery,” said Dr. McIsaac, a scientist and anesthesiologist at The Ottawa Hospital, and Chair in Innovative Perioperative Care at the University of Ottawa. “It’s structured, sustained exercise and nutrition over time that makes the muscles, heart, and lungs stronger. A lot of the exercises focus on strengthening the legs and abdominal muscles, which you need to get out of bed after surgery.”

“Prehab is a bit like training for a race, but instead you’re training for surgery.”

– Dr. Daniel McIsaac

Previous studies have shown that young, healthy people who did prehab before surgery recovered faster and had fewer complications.

“We know that the healthier someone is going into surgery, the sooner they will recover and get back to their daily activities,” said Dr. McIsaac.

However, most Canadians who need major surgery are 65 or older, and many more are weakened by health challenges. While this population has a lot to gain from prehab, it’s usually harder for them to complete the exercises.

Dr. McIsaac’s research program aims to make prehab more feasible for older people with health challenges, so they can reap the rewards of a faster recovery.

What does prehab look like?

When Christopher joined the prehab study in November 2021, research assistant Keely Barnes showed him exercises and stretches to do at home at least three times a week and gave him written and video instructions to follow. Most of the exercises could be done while sitting in a chair.

Keely also asked him to walk, bike, or swim for at least 20 minutes, three times a week and gave him a pedometer to track his distance.

Christopher loved skiing, biking, and other outdoor activities before his cancer diagnosis, so he didn’t mind all the exercise. In fact, he enjoyed the distraction.

“I discovered as a cancer patient, you need something to focus on daily, just to get your mind off things,” he says. “With this study, I decided to give myself a goal, something to focus on each day, and strive to increase the exercise repetitions each week.”

Keely called Christopher every week to see how many repetitions and steps he’d done. Not only was this good motivation to do the exercises, but she also checked to see if any of the exercises were causing him trouble. Together, they figured how to adapt them.

By mid-December 2021, Christopher started cross-country skiing again. All that exercise had also improved his appetite, which helped him gain back the weight he’d lost during chemo.

Research with patient experience at the core

“Patients have told us loud and clear that prehab research needs to be a priority,” said Dr. McIsaac. “They are eager to get back to their daily lives after they’ve had surgery, and prehab can help them do that.”

However, like with any exercise, you need to put in the work to get the benefits. And for older people living with pain and other health issues, putting in that work can be more difficult.

A pilot prehab study run by Dr. McIsaac’s team found that older patients with health issues who had at least 80% adherence to the prehab program could walk farther and had lower self-reported disability scores after surgery compared to those who did not participate. However, the average adherence was only 60%, not enough to see benefits.

“For a prehab program to be successful, we need to support and motivate participants and personalize the exercises to their needs.”

– Dr. Daniel McIsaac

Based on these findings, the team added more personalized and tailored programming to their current national prehab trial at 11 sites across Canada. This trial recruits about 10 new patients a week, and so far, overall adherence has been much closer to 80%. The team aims to recruit 750 people by the end of 2023, with results published in the subsequent years.

“For a prehab program to be successful, we need to support and motivate participants and personalize the exercises to their needs,” said Dr. McIsaac. “Our research assistants call participants week after week, so they get to know them well and can help them through any challenges they’re facing.”

This year, the team plans to launch a smaller trial in Ontario to test a different way of delivering prehab through virtual group sessions. Unlike the national trial where patients are recruited by their surgical team, patients will be able to refer themselves to the trial.

“If we want to bring prehab into everyday clinical practice, we need a process that will work in the real world,” says Dr. McIsaac. “We think that virtual group sessions will probably be more feasible for healthcare providers than individual phone calls. But we won’t know if that model works for participants unless we test it.”

Patient partners share key insights

One of the team’s secret weapons is having patient partners on their side. Team members like Gurlie Kidd, a retired social worker who had surgery at The Ottawa Hospital in 2017, help make sure the research stays relevant to patients.

Gurlie’s input has helped the team better understand how and when to ask surgical patients about taking part in studies, to reduce the burden put on patients. She and other patient partners have also helped the team set priorities and adjust the study’s design, including sending regular updates to patients involved.

“As a member of this research team, I have felt heard,” says Gurlie. “There is a respect for patients and patient input that is kind of amazing. It legitimizes some of the things that we have gone through and acknowledges our expertise.”

“I can’t imagine what my recovery would have been like without it”

After two months of prehab, Christopher felt confident and ready when his surgery date arrived in January 2022. The colorectal surgery went well, and his surgeon removed some additional Stage 1 cancer that was growing near the tumour.

Christopher was amazed by how soon he could leave the hospital after surgery.

“A cancer diagnosis is never easy. The treatment phases are challenging, and I believe participating in this prehab clinical trial was an important part of my treatment plan.”

– Christopher Wanczycki

“My surgery was on a Monday. By Wednesday, I could sit in a chair to eat lunch. On Thursday, I had dressed myself, and was up at the nursing station trying to check myself out. By Friday, I was climbing the stairs at home. That would not have been possible without the prehab program.”

Christopher and his wife at Gros Morne Summit September 2022.

He continued to do prehab exercises for a month after his surgery. A week later — only five weeks after surgery — he was regularly back on his cross-country skis. In April 2022, he was finally declared cancer free.

In September 2022, Christopher hiked to the top of Gros Morne Mountain in Newfoundland with an ileostomy bag, just eight months after his surgery.

He’s grateful to be able to be back to all those activities he loves and credits the prehab study for his quick recovery.

“I’m 100% certain that it does make a difference physically, but also psychologically, to give someone goals, something to work towards. Also, cancer is so hard on your family, on your wife and kids. With this exercise program, my wife could see my progress, and that I was getting better.”

In December 2022, Christopher underwent a successful ileostomy reversal operation. He has since resumed downhill and cross-country skiing.

“A cancer diagnosis is never easy,” he says, “The treatment phases are challenging, and I believe participating in this prehab clinical trial was an important part of my treatment plan.”

Christopher with his daughter and friend.

All research at The Ottawa Hospital depends on infrastructure and support services funded by generous donors to The Ottawa Hospital Foundation. Dr. McIsaac’s research is also funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the PSI Foundation, the International Anesthesia Research Society, and the Canadian Frailty Network and enabled by the Ottawa Methods Centre and the Office for Patient Engagement in Research Activities.

Categories: Cancer, Rehab

Published: March 2023

The search for the silver bullet for sepsis has been decades in the making. However, The Ottawa Hospital is taking a big step forward in the next phase of a world-first clinical trial using stem cells in patients with septic shock — not so much a silver bullet, but a seed that could lead to future innovative treatment options and impact millions of patients. The hope is to not only save more lives but also improve the quality of life of those who do survive this devastating illness.

Sepsis is caused by our own body’s response to infection. When that infection spreads through the blood stream and over-activates the immune and coagulation systems, it can cause the heart and other organs to fail. Sepsis is associated with a death rate from 20% to 40% and upwards from that, depending on the patient. Survivors of this devastating condition often have their quality of life impacted and often for the long term. Sepsis knows no borders and impacts people globally.

World-Leading Research

Each year, sepsis affects 49 million people worldwide. But researchers here at The Ottawa Hospital are working to make an impact with a world-first clinical trial exploring the use of mesenchymal stem cells to treat septic shock.

What is Sepsis?

Sepsis occurs when the body has an extreme, life-threatening response to an infection. The infection includes bacteria that enter the blood stream, triggering a chain reaction during which the patient’s immune system response damages its own tissues, potentially leading to organ failure and death.

Learn More

Dr. Lauralyn McIntyre is an intensive care unit (ICU) physician and senior scientist at The Ottawa Hospital, and it’s her care of critically ill patients that has motivated her research into sepsis. Over the years, she’s witnessed the debilitating impact it can have on patients and their families. “It’s why I’m doing this research. As researchers, we love science. We love posing questions and the thinking that goes with these questions, and we love the answering those scientific questions. But the main reason we’re doing research is to help patients,” says Dr. McIntyre. “If there’s some way we can just move that needle to help these patients and their families, that just means so much.”

The global impact of sepsis

Sepsis is recognized as a global health priority. It’s estimated there are 48.9 million cases of sepsis annually and 11 million sepsis-related deaths — those account for almost 20% of global deaths. It is also the leading cause of death among COVID-19 patients.

To put that in perspective, a study published in 2021 led by researchers at The Ottawa Hospital and ICES (Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences) showed that severe sepsis is linked with higher mortality, increased hospital readmission, and higher healthcare costs. In Ontario alone, sepsis related costs are estimated at $1 billion per year.

“It’s the complexity of the infection and the challenge that drew me to the research, but also knowing the potential to really help patients and see if we can make them better.”

– Dr. Lauralyn McIntyre

According to Dr. McIntyre, sepsis is the most common reason why patients are admitted to ICUs. “They account for about 20% of the cases in the ICU at our hospital. From a provincial glance, over a four-year period, there were 270,000 cases of patients that were admitted to hospitals in Ontario for infection — about 30% had the more severe form of sepsis, with infection plus organ failure which amounts to about 67,500 patients a year in Ontario alone – it’s staggering,” explains Dr. McIntyre.

These data are a key motivator to learn more about sepsis and how to treat it. “It’s the complexity of the infection and the challenge that drew me to the research, but also knowing the potential to help patients and see if we can make them better,” says Dr. McIntyre.

Putting a face to the impact of the infection

Ten years ago, sepsis changed the life of Christine Caron — a single, working mother with four children who, at the time, ranged in age from 15 to 24. Throughout the winter and spring of 2013, she hadn’t been feeling well. Then in late May, while playing tug-of-war with her four dogs, her left hand was accidentally nipped. “It wasn’t a serious bite, just a break in the skin. I had no redness or pain, so I washed it out and disinfected the area,” recalls Christine.

Four days later when Christine was at work, she realized she hadn’t gone to the bathroom all day — eventually she learned this was because her kidneys were shutting down. The following day, she set out for a morning run. “I was winded and had to walk home but felt better after a shower. Later that day, I had terrible stomach pain — like someone had punched me in the stomach — and felt disoriented. I went home and slept. My son woke me up at one point to say I was breathing funny, but I assured him I was fine and fell back to sleep. I was shocked when I woke up and realized how long I had been asleep,” says Christine.

Christine Caron is a survivor of sepsis.

She remembers feeling agitated and more symptoms developed, including sweating despite feeling cold and becoming very thirsty. She went to a local urgent care centre, but it was closed. “I had no idea how sick I was, and the thought of sitting in an emergency department was overwhelming. I decided if I wasn’t feeling better in the morning that I would go to the hospital then.” 

Later that night, while her children slept, she became very sick — flu-like symptoms as she describes it. “I lay on the bathroom floor, probably ‘till three in the morning. I thought about calling an ambulance, but I didn’t want to wake up my family,” says Christine. “I wasn’t thinking clearly. I now know this was delirium.”

The next morning, a friend took Christine to a local hospital. “I was dizzy, I could barely breathe. I handed my health card to the attending nurse and then I collapsed,” explains Christine.

Christine wouldn’t regain consciousness for a month. On June 13, she woke up at the Civic Campus of The Ottawa Hospital to learn the devastating news of what sepsis had done to her body. This was when she heard about septic shock for the first time. “I had bronchitis that progressed to walking pneumonia. It was this condition that compromised my immune system resulting in the reaction to the bacteria when I was nipped by my dog. It quickly escalated to septic shock.”

As it would turn out, the sepsis infection had caused irreparable damage. By June 22, Christine began a series of surgeries to amputate her legs, her left arm, and remove dead tissue from her remaining limb and her face — changing her life forever. Little did she know at the time, but this set her on a path of becoming a voice for sepsis survivors. By early July, she was released from the hospital and would learn a new way of life at our Rehabilitation Centre, where she learned to walk again and received support for PTSD. Today, Christine is an active advocate for sepsis survivors, awareness, and for research.

Christine with her dogs.

Christine with her family.

Moving the needle for sepsis treatment

For decades, there has been little progress in advancing specific treatment for sepsis, but world-first research at our hospital shows that a specific type of stem cells may be the key to helping balance out the body’s immune system to improve its response to sepsis. Laboratory studies and early clinical trial results were so promising that Dr. McIntyre’s research was awarded $2.3 million from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Stem Cell Network to begin a larger trial. “Researchers around the world have spent decades trying to find new therapies for septic shock, but so far nothing has improved survival, nor the quality of life for survivors of this devastating illness,” says Dr. McIntyre. “We urgently need new treatments for septic shock and to test them in randomized controlled trials like this one.”

This injection of funds will allow the team to expand the trial to 10 centres across Canada to see whether the stem cells can reduce patients’ needs for organ support in the ICU.

For Dr. McIntyre, this research, which is a huge collaboration among hospital colleagues, including Drs. Duncan Stewart, Dean Fergusson, and Shirley Mei, as well as colleagues throughout Canada and abroad. It provides hope that years of dedication to this mysterious illness may finally move the needle forward for sepsis treatment. “These stem cells hold, in my opinion, immense therapeutic promise for the treatment of sepsis, because these cells act through many mechanisms that relate to sepsis. Not only do they recognize and ultimately kill the bugs causing the infection, but they also calm the immune and blood-clotting responses that our body has to the infection,” explains Dr. McIntyre.

“I see this trial as the very first beginning — it’s a little bud, and we’re just going to grow from it.”

– Dr. Lauralyn McIntyre

And while Dr. McIntyre says her research has shown these cells have other benefits, such as restoring energy to the tissues, and reducing vessel leakiness and the swelling that goes with it, treating sepsis is still an enormously complex problem. “We can’t expect that there’s a silver bullet that’s going to completely cure sepsis, but from what we have learned so far, these cells have the potential to make a real dent in the immense death from sepsis, and we hope will improve the quality of life for survivors of this devastating illness.”

The “little bud” that will grow into future sepsis research

This clinical trial is just the starting point to learn more about this deadly infection, and the results will help inform future trials. As the research advances, and more is learned about how the body responds to these cells during sepsis, it will help identify future patients that may have the most to benefit. “So, I see this trial as the very beginning — it’s a little bud and we’re just going to grow from it,” explains Dr. McIntyre.

The growth of this research has been cultivated by what Dr. McIntyre describes as a major collaborative team approach. It includes researchers, both basic and clinical, cell manufacturing experts, trainees, project managers, clinicians, and nurses, as well as patient and family partners, and sepsis survivors, like Christine, who is the lead patient partner. “Working with these patient partners has just been illuminating about post-sepsis survivorship. People like Christine have been so helpful in enabling us to understand the need to study more about the survivorship of these patients and their families, and the quality of that survival,” explains Dr. McIntyre.

“Sepsis took so much from me — it scarred me in so many ways. We need to advocate and educate because sepsis does not discriminate.”

– Christine Caron

There’s a mutual admiration between the two women, who have each seen sepsis through a very different lens. Christine is thrilled to have her voice heard and to see that needle move forward. “Dr. McIntyre’s research is phenomenal because a lot of patients come out with organ damage, and stem cell research could save so much for so many people. Wouldn’t it be so wonderful if it did?” Christine adds, “Sepsis took so much from me — it scarred me in so many ways. We need to advocate and educate because sepsis does not discriminate.”

“If there's something that we can do to reduce death and help how patients survive this immense illness, we’ve just got to go there.”

– Dr. Lauralyn McIntyre

And so, for Dr. McIntyre, it’s those faces she sees in the ICU and those like Christine, who work alongside her, that continue to motivate her with each step forward in the search for answers in this challenging puzzle of sepsis. “If there’s something that we can do to reduce death and help how patients survive this immense illness, we’ve just got to go there.”

The Ottawa Hospital is a leading academic health, research, and learning hospital proudly affiliated with the University of Ottawa.

Categories: Clinical Trials, New Campus Development, New Campus Development, Patient Care, Patient Care, Patient Care, Patient Care, Patient Care, Patient Care, Patient Care, Patient Care, Patient Care, Patient Care, Stem Cell, World-Leading Research

Published: February 2023

During her 29 years as an elementary school teacher, Pat crossed paths with hundreds of students and their parents. However, there was one family in particular that changed her life.

Having grown up in the Montreal area, Pat attended McGill University where she received her teaching degree. The early days of her career were spent in the classroom before she became a fieldworker who travelled to different schools in her district, conducting workshops on how to use multi-media systems. Back in those days, it was slides and overhead projectors. Pat eventually returned to teaching, and that’s how she met her future husband and the two boys she would eventually adopt as her own.

“I was teaching Robbie in Grade 5, and that’s when I met his dad, John, at a parent-teacher interview. He was a widower — he had lost his wife, and the boys had lost their mother, to cancer. Robbie’s older brother, also named John, was in high school,” explains Pat.

There was a spark, and the couple eventually married. In the early 80s, the family left Quebec and moved to the rural community of St. Eugène, east of Ottawa, where they bought a hobby farm. Pat eventually retired from teaching and opened an antique and craft shop. John, who retired as Vice-President of International Paints Canada, spent his time with horses on the farm. It was a life the couple enjoyed — one filled with fun and laughter. As the couple watched the boys grow into young men — they would soon turn to The Ottawa Hospital for help.

Compassionate care always remembered

The family’s first interaction with our hospital came in 1984 when Robbie was diagnosed with AIDS at age 19. But it would be many years before he would reveal his diagnosis with his family — about two years prior to Robbie’s death, he shared the news with his parents.

“The hospital care team treated him with humour and grace at a time when some people didn’t want to touch or be near AIDS patients. They were wonderful.”

— Pat

It was a difficult time for the family, but Pat will never forget how the team cared for their son. “This was the hardest part for me because he had to bear this burden on his own, but The Ottawa Hospital did a fabulous job with Robbie medically. He was on a protocol known as AZT, and he survived longer than most other AIDS patients his age at that time.”

“But Robbie was also a character and was oodles of fun,” explains Pat. “The hospital care team treated him with humour and grace at a time when some people didn’t want to touch or be near AIDS patients. They were wonderful.”

Sadly, Robbie passed away in 1996 at the age of 31. When he died, he was surrounded by love, and to this day, Pat still acknowledges the compassionate palliative care he received at home from Dr. Louise Coulomb.

The Ottawa Hospital impacts each family member

That was just the beginning of the family’s connection to our hospital. After Robbie died, Pat and John Sr. had their own firsthand experiences being cared for at the hospital — mostly from the orthopaedic team. “John Sr. had three knees replaced. I had two knees, and a hip replaced and I’m currently waiting for another hip surgery. I’ve had 13 hand surgeries and multiple foot surgeries. All together, it’s a long list,” says Pat.

Then on July 1, 2015, the family was shocked to learn John Jr. had pancreatic cancer — a devastating diagnosis. In Canada, the five-year survival rate is 10%. Once again, the family turned to the expertise of The Ottawa Hospital, and John Jr. underwent extensive treatment that included Whipple surgery. She credits Drs. Richard Mimeault and Guillaume Martel for saving his life. In fact, Dr. Martel was appointed the first Arnie Vered Family Chair in Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Research in 2019. This research chair was made possible through generous donations from the Vered Family and other supporters. The goal of the chair is to focus on improving treatment for patients with cancers such as liver, pancreatic, gallbladder, and bile duct.

Pat is leaving a gift in her will to The Ottawa Hospital.

“My John is alive and well for six years now. He’s a miracle boy. So do you think I owe the hospital something?”

— Pat

Later, tumours were discovered on his liver — another devastating blow. His care team performed what’s known as TACE — transarterial chemoembolization — which is a procedure that involves injecting a combination of cancer-fighting drugs and an agent to cut off the tumour’s blood supply. It causes little to no effect on the function of the liver. “My John is alive and well for six years now. He’s a miracle boy. So do you think I owe the hospital something?” says Pat.

Sadly, John Sr. passed away just a few months after John Jr.’s diagnosis and therefore never knew his son had survived.

Family lessons in giving back

Each time a family member needed our hospital, Pat has been deeply grateful for the expertise and compassion she’s witnessed ─ and that’s how she became a donor. Following each experience, she always made an effort to give back. Over the years, she supported the hospital through the Gratitude Award Program and through annual donations.

“Look at what they’ve done for my family. It meant everything to have that care.”

— Pat

After her husband’s death in November 2015, Pat began to consider the legacy she could leave for generations to come by leaving a gift in her will to The Ottawa Hospital. “Look at what they’ve done for my family. It meant everything to have that care.”

When Pat reflects on why it’s important to support our hospital, she gives credit to her parents and the lessons they taught her about philanthropy. Those lessons live on in her today. “I may have had the best parents a kid ever had, but my mother was exceptional. My dad was too. They were both teachers and mum said, ‘I can’t afford to give a lot of money, but I can afford to canvass.’ She did a lot of door-to-door canvassing, and always said, ‘It’s our duty to leave the world a better place than we received it.’, so a little bit of that has rubbed off on me.”

Categories: Donors, Donors, Donors, Gift In Will

Jeannette Cheng shares the story of the traumatic motor vehicle collision — and the subsequent care she received — that changed the course of her life and inspired her to become a healthcare worker. Here is Jeannette’s story in her own words.

On August 18, 2007, after a night out with a group of fellow fourth-year Information Technology students from Carleton University, I struggled to fall asleep. I was eager and excited about the white-water rafting trip we had planned for the next day. I did manage to fall asleep eventually, but the next thing I remember was waking up in The Ottawa Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit two weeks later.

Amid my confusion, my caring and empathetic nurse explained I had been in a collision. She told me our car had been T-boned by an oncoming truck on the way to white-water rafting. I didn’t remember a thing about that morning, but apparently, I had been sitting in the back middle seat, where there was only a lap belt for protection, and I sustained life-threatening injuries that required me to be airlifted to the only adult Level 1 Trauma Centre in eastern Ontario — at The Ottawa Hospital.

I was in bad shape when I arrived. I had emergency surgeries to remove my spleen, a craniotomy to repair my fractured skull, and another surgery to stabilize my pelvis. I had chest tubes inserted because my lungs had collapsed, a tracheostomy to help me breathe, and an abdominal abscess removed.

Compassionate care during a terrifying time

I spent one month in the ICU before being moved to the trauma unit, where I experienced an upper gastrointestinal bleed. This was extremely serious, and I was terrified. But when my attending physician, Dr. Giuseppe Pagliarello, came to see me I experienced an inspiring, life-changing moment.

Dr. Pagliarello came to my bedside, held my hand, and spoke clearly and confidently about the next steps for my care. I was taken with his compassion, and that small gesture of holding my hand showed me I wasn’t alone. It was his kindness in that critical moment that inspired me to pursue a career in healthcare.

“I was taken with his compassion, and that small gesture of holding my hand showed me I wasn’t alone. It was his kindness in that critical moment that inspired me to pursue a career in healthcare.”
– Jeannette Cheng

Months of rehabilitations and recovery

Still, my road to recovery was far from over. After spending two weeks in the trauma unit, I spent another two weeks in the general surgery unit before going to The Ottawa Hospital’s Rehabilitation Centre. Over the course of two months, I relearned basic skills, including how to feed myself, talk, and walk again.

Throughout my time at The Ottawa Hospital, I received support from countless physicians, nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, and more. These people were unbelievably dedicated, compassionate, and patient.

I left the hospital after four long months with a new appreciation for all the little things we take for granted, like being able to walk without assistance. I also had a deep sense of gratitude for the exceptional care I received when my life was on the line, and I had a newfound desire to provide that same care to others.

A new calling

When I was able, I returned to complete my final school year in Information Technology, but that desire to care for others didn’t go away. So, I made a transition towards healthcare by returning to school to become a Registered Nurse. And in April 2018, I began working at The Ottawa Hospital – in the very same trauma unit that saved my life. Now, I’m able to provide the same kind of compassionate care to patients that I received more than a decade prior. Being able to share my story with some of my trauma patients has shown them that they, too, are not alone in their recovery process.

“The motor vehicle collision was a life-changing experience that has directed my path to continue to make a difference in my community.”
– Jeannette Cheng

When I made the decision to become an RN, I never imagined I’d end up caring for people during a global health crisis, but that’s precisely what happened. At the height of the pandemic, my floor became a designated COVID-19 unit. It was extremely challenging to see so many patients suffering from COVID while not being able to see their loved ones, but it was also a privilege to be able to care for them.

After recovering from a serious collision, Jeannette Cheng became a nurse at The Ottawa Hospital.

The motor vehicle collision was a life-changing experience that has directed my path to continue making a difference in my community.

Jeannette Cheng, shown in her PPE, when she worked on the COVID-19 unit at The Ottawa Hospital.

Working with trauma patients, as well as COVID patients, allowed me to do that.

Being a nurse has taught me how important it is to have hope while also accepting the unpredictability of life. And my story is a reminder of the impact compassionate care can have on someone. It’s a reminder that something as simple as holding a person’s hand in their moment of need can change their life forever.

Download episode #50 of Pulse Podcast to hear Jeannette Cheng’s story.

Categories:

Published: December 2022

Content warning: Graphic description, in his own words, of the injuries he sustained.

Travis Vaughan shares the story of the night of December 18, 2019, when he arrived by air ambulance to The Ottawa Hospital Trauma Centre after a snowmobile crash in rural Ottawa that left him with life-threatening injuries. This is Travis’ story, told in his own words, about how our orthopaedic trauma team was ready to save his life.

It was a late afternoon on a Wednesday in December, and we just received our first real snowfall of the season. I was excited to get home from work to take the snowmobile out. My wife would be home from work soon, so I wasn’t planning on staying out long — just a quick loop and back home for the night. There was still light in the sky, but we were inching closer to the shortest day of the year.

I was on my way back — about 300 yards from the house — when the snowmobile hit a patch of very rough ground under the snow. As soon as the skis hit the frozen furrows of ground, the front end of the snowmobile broke apart. The machine rolled, taking me with it.

It all happened in the blink of an eye. While in the air, I remember being confused as to why the snowmobile suddenly upset, then I hit the ground hard.

The New Campus Development

The Ottawa Hospital’s new campus will be home to the most advanced trauma centre in eastern Ontario, ensuring patients like Travis benefit from exceptional care when they need it.

“I’m grateful that through all of this, I was able to stay calm and keep my breathing steady, thanks to the reassuring support coming from the other end of the phone.”

– Travis Vaughan

Initially I didn’t think I was any worse for wear, until I looked down. My leg was torn wide open, and my femur was completely exposed — there was a lot of blood, but no pain. My adrenaline kicked in immediately. Luckily, I had stuffed my cellphone in my pocket and was able to dial 911. I explained to the calm voice of the operator that I was lying alone in a field just north of Almonte. She asked several questions, and I conveyed the severity of the situation, explaining my left leg was dangling and nearly detached. I was trying to make a tourniquet, but didn’t have a belt and wasn’t able to get my waist band torn out of my snow pants. I was acutely aware the situation was dire — if help didn’t arrive quickly, things would likely not end well. I remember her telling me there was all kinds of help on the way, and the Ornge air ambulance had been dispatched.

My hands started to numb from the bitter cold, and I wanted to call my wife, but the operator insisted I stay on the line until help arrived. I’m grateful that through all of this, I was able to stay calm and keep my breathing steady, thanks to the reassuring support coming from the other end of the phone.

Desperate for help to arrive

Unfortunately, the cold air caused my phone to die, cutting me off from the 911 operator. Sitting alone I remember thinking — you’re 32-years-old, this isn’t how it’s supposed to end. It was a surreal feeling. Strangely, it wasn’t scary — a warm calm sort of settled over my body. I remember thinking either I was going to hear sirens and see help coming, or I wasn’t, and this would be it. I started to think about my wife and family, and all the happy milestones I would miss.

But my next thought was different — and it hit me like a train — if I didn’t survive this, it would be my wife and family left to pick up the pieces, not me. I was furious with myself for succumbing to self pity while not thinking of how devastating and difficult this would be for my loved ones. This was the most intense thought I’ve ever experienced. From that moment on, I was going to give everything I had left to live; putting one hand in front of the other, I began to crawl. The next thing I knew, our dog came running towards me across the field. He looked at me with a what-did-you-do expression. He knew I was in trouble and stayed by my side as I slowly dragged myself home.

My wife, Jenn, and my brother, Tyler, who was living with us at the time, were both at home by the time I got to the house. I pushed open the door, and my wife turned and looked at me. I can still see the shock on her face. She came running towards me, grabbed me a belt and covered me with a blanket, before going to find my brother for help.

“From that moment on, I was going to give everything I had left to live, putting one hand in front of the other, I began to crawl.”

– Travis Vaughan

Tyler raced to make a tourniquet to help ease the blood loss; not many people could have done that, and I’m here because of it. Soon, the emergency responders started to arrive and they applied a proper tourniquet, started fluids, and worked to stabilize me. I was loaded into the ambulance — time was of the essence, so they quickly transported me to the awaiting air ambulance. The pilot had tried to land in the yard, however, due to trees and uneven ground, he had to set the helicopter down on the road. My memory starts to get a little fuzzy here, I’m so grateful to my wife, brother, the police officers, paramedics, and firefighters for the role they played in saving my life.

“When I say a team, it’s no exaggeration — my family told me there were close to 20 professionals ready and waiting. It was powerful to witness, and it’s not lost on me that because I was at a Level 1 Trauma Centre, I had immediate access to any equipment necessary. This level of care is unbelievable.”

– Travis Vaughan

Unbelievable care awaited me at the Trauma Centre

When we landed at The Ottawa Hospital’s Civic Campus a full team awaited me. When I say a team, it’s no exaggeration — my family told me there were close to 20 professionals ready and waiting. It was powerful to witness, and it’s not lost on me that because I was at a Level 1 Trauma Centre, I had immediate access to any equipment necessary. This level of care is unbelievable. 

The team had received details of my injury while I was in the air. I remember feeling the first sigh of relief when we arrived — I was in good hands. My family was also in good hands, and that was equally comforting to hear afterwards. My wife received a phone call from a physician on the way to the hospital explaining what had already been done and what was planned. When my mother, sister, and wife arrived at the hospital, they were met by a social worker who was exceptional and again briefed them on all that was going on.

“It was my wife and brother that gave me my first fighting chance to live. Now, it was up to the trauma team to do the rest.”

– Travis Vaughan

It still amazes me to this day that I remember so much about that experience. I recall the faces of the trauma team as they did a full evaluation to determine if there were any other injuries. Each person acted quickly and concisely to get answers. I remember a CT scan showed I didn’t have any head trauma and my neck was fine — but I was hypothermic because of the extent of time I was outside.

The damage to my femur and surrounding tissue was extensive and critical. I recall someone saying the tourniquet Tyler put on my leg is likely the reason I made it to the hospital alive — it was my wife and brother that gave me my first fighting chance to live. Now, it was up to the trauma team to do the rest.

What is trauma care like at The Ottawa Hospital today?

The Ottawa Hospital and its Trauma Centre at the Civic Campus are responsible for 1.3 million residents, ranging from as far west as Pembroke to as far east as Hawkesbury.

What is trauma care like at The Ottawa Hospital today?

We’re the only Level 1 Trauma Centre for adults in eastern Ontario.

What is trauma care like at The Ottawa Hospital today?

The Civic Emergency Department was renovated in 2003 to treat 60,000 patients a year, today treats over 90,000 a year, and we project that by 2030, we will need to treat more than 120,000 a year.

Orthopaedic trauma team gave me a chance at a full recovery

Getting the femur positioned back in my leg was going to be the first, and very painful, thing to do. Dr. Allan Liew, Director of Orthopaedic Trauma, was the lead, and I remember an orthopaedic resident was with me — standing right by my head. They explained how they had to try and put my femur back in my leg. The resident had a good sense of humour, which really helped in that moment, and he said to me, “Ok, this is going to suck.”

And it really did, but it had to be done to help put me on the right path to recovery. Later that night, once I was stabilized, Dr. Liew took me into surgery. I had a debridement — which is basically a thorough cleaning of the wound — and that’s when they realized there was some bone loss from the accident. What I mean by that is a piece of my femur was missing — still back in the field. So, my leg had to be stabilized with pins and bars just above the knee.

This whole surgery was crucial to reduce the risk of infection, and Dr. Liew did an incredible job with what he had to work with. That first surgery was critical in setting me up for a successful recovery.

I returned to the operating room on December 21 for another debridement, which gave my surgeons the chance to reassess how the tissues were doing, as well as the bone. Then four days later, on Christmas Eve, I had a third surgery — a definitive fix, as it was called. A plate and screws were used to stabilize my femur, but also, the surgical team needed to start the process to build back the missing bone. A block of bone cement was placed in the area where the bone was missing. Amazingly, the body will start to form a healing membrane around the cement, and six to eight weeks later I would return to have the block removed and a bone graft placed inside the membrane.

Orthopaedic trauma team gave me a chance at a full recovery

Finally, after 10 days in hospital, I was able to go home. While I missed Christmas with my family, they were always present at the hospital. Staff also went the extra mile to celebrate Christmas with me. I was lucky to be alive and hopeful The Ottawa Hospital’s specialist were setting me up for a full recovery. But my journey wasn’t over — one more big surgery awaited me.

‘Superman’ surgeon leaves a lasting impression

That’s when I would meet Dr. Geoff Wilkin — or as I refer to him, Superman. He’s an orthopaedic surgeon who would lead that final surgery. Initially, the plan was for a short, routine surgery for bone grafting. However, after reviewing the imaging he wasn’t pleased with how my leg was healing and decided he wanted to re-align the femur — a redo if you will. Admittedly, I was shocked by this news. I had mentally prepared for a brief procedure, and now I was in for a six-hour surgery. But the truth was, I was having difficulty bending my knee, and Dr. Wilkin explained this was the best opportunity to get it right. If this wasn’t fixed properly, I would face a lifetime of issues that would impact my quality of life.

“Dr. Wilkin’s thoroughness and determination gave me the best chance at a future with a fully functional leg. He went so far past the extra mile to give me the best opportunity at recovery. He's given me a second lease on life — I will be forever grateful for that.”

– Travis Vaughan

On February 13, 2020 — just before COVID-19 hit our city — I was back in the operating room. Mine was a complex case. First, Dr. Wilkin had to remove that cement spacer in my femur. Then, he realigned the femur into a better position and attached two new plates to it. Up next was the bone grafting, where bone was harvested from my pelvis and placed in my thigh.

Dr. Wilkin’s thoroughness and determination gave me the best chance at a future with a fully functional leg. He went so far past the extra mile to give me the best opportunity at recovery. He’s given me a second lease on life — I will be forever grateful for that.

On to the best part. Thanks to the team that was waiting for me the night of the accident and those I would meet in the days and weeks ahead, including a long list of amazing nurses, I’m doing well. I don’t know that I’ll be skiing in the Rockies or running a marathon, but I was around to experience something far better. In October 2021, my wife and I welcomed our first child, a daughter. I now can chase her around the playground and enjoy any other activities she chooses to pursue growing up.

I’m beyond lucky to live in a city with access to the world-class care I received that cold December night. While my life hung in the balance, the trauma team was ready for me, and that’s something I will never forget.

Dr. Geoff Wilkin

“There are two important time points in acute orthopaedic trauma care. There's the initial time of injury, when we are focused on stabilizing measures to save life and limb. But the second, and bigger, piece of my job is putting people’s injuries back together as perfectly as possible to maximize their recovery and their return to function. My goal is to get people back to the level of activity they had before their injury — that's what we are always striving for with any injured patient.

Travis was one of those guys that every time I saw him, he was doing better and better. Despite everything he went through, his positive attitude and determination to get better never failed. Today, he's doing really well — he is enjoying an active life with his young family and his injury is largely a thing of the past. It feels great to have helped him get there.”

Learn more about Dr. Geoff Wilkin

Download episode #72 of Pulse Podcast to hear Travis Vaughan reunited with his orthopaedic surgeon, Dr. Geoff Wilkin.

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Categories: New Campus Development, Trauma

Published: January 2023

In late 2019, Camille Leahy was excited about the future. She was ready to embark on a new work adventure after quitting her job of 17 years. However, that all changed in January 2020 when she started feeling unwell and was in a great deal of pain. Camille went to the emergency department closest to her home in Newmarket, knowing something just wasn’t right. The next day, she received a devastating diagnosis — acute lymphoblastic leukemia. It was the start of a rollercoaster journey that eventually led her to a Canadian-first CAR T-cell therapy clinical trial taking place at The Ottawa Hospital.

With barely any time to digest the news of her cancer diagnosis, the 35-year-old learned she needed to begin treatment right away. She was referred to Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto and admitted as soon as a bed was available. “From there, I started a month of treatment that consisted of intense chemotherapy to get me into remission. The goal was to then continue maintenance therapy for a couple of years, which would include chemotherapy, steroids, and other medications,” explains Camille.

World-Leading Research

Our made-in-Canada CAR T-cell therapy clinical trial is bringing new hope to people like Camille, who have cancer. Our Campaign to Create Tomorrow will advance more lifesaving research like this and strengthen Ottawa’s position as a global research powerhouse.

With this sudden diagnosis and the immediate requirement for treatment, it meant the single mom couldn’t start her new job — now she was also without employment. “At that point, we just had to worry about saving my life,” says Camille.

Shocking news after rounds of treatment

After 30 days in hospital and all set to go home, Camille received another blow. The treatment didn’t work, and there were still cancer cells lingering. Her medical team needed to try another option — and right away. This time, Camille was put on an immunotherapy drug known as blinatumomab. After a second consecutive month in hospital, away from her daughter, there was a glimmer of hope — she was in remission.

However, she also learned the cancer would keep returning, so her team recommended a stem cell transplant as her best option. “That was shocking news for me,” says Camille.

“About eight months post stem cell transplant, I woke up with some neck pain. I didn't think anything of it, but unfortunately, blood work showed that the cancer returned, and it was aggressive.”

– Camille Leahy

By July 2020, she had undergone the stem cell transplant and spent another month in hospital, but this time, the world was in the midst of the pandemic — that meant her family, including her daughter, couldn’t visit. Camille was eventually discharged, but another hurdle was around the corner. “About eight months post stem cell transplant, I woke up with some neck pain,” explains Camille. “I didn’t think anything of it, but unfortunately, blood work showed that the cancer returned, and it was aggressive.”

“Have you heard about CAR T-cell therapy?”

It was now March 2021, and Camille was out of options. Her medical team recommended another chemotherapy protocol, but she just couldn’t do it. “When they started naming off the types of chemo involved, I broke down because it just sounded all too familiar to my first month, and that induction didn’t work,” recalls Camille. “Also, this time it was during a pandemic. At least when I was diagnosed in January, I had all my family and all my friends visiting every day. But this time around, I wasn’t going to be able to see my daughter, I wasn’t going to be able to have my friends and family as often as I wanted — maybe once a week. I just couldn’t do it without them, I wasn’t strong enough.”

That’s when she remembered CAR T-cell therapy had been mentioned at one point early on, so she asked her doctor about it. “I asked her, ‘Have you heard about CAR T-cell therapy?’ She confirmed there was a trial going on in Ottawa, and she decided to see if I would meet the criteria for it.”

Soon, Camille got the dose of good news she desperately needed – she was accepted into the trial, and she soon met Dr. Natasha Kekre, the principal investigator.

First made-in-Canada CAR T-cell therapy for cancer shows promise

More than a dozen people with cancer who had exhausted all treatment options are alive and cancer free today thanks to a pioneering, Canadian-first clinical trial. It uses a highly personalized kind of immunotherapy to help the patient’s T-cells recognize and kill their cancer. The results to date could open the door to a new era of made-in-Canada immunotherapies for cancer.

Patients in the trial, like Camille, have their immune cells (T-cells) removed and genetically engineered in a lab with a disarmed virus to produce synthetic molecules called “chimeric antigen receptors” (CAR). These new supercharged CAR T-cells, with their enhanced cancer-killing ability, are then infused back into the same patient.

What is the difference between a T‑cell and a CAR T‑cell?

T‑cells are a type of white blood cell, which play a critical role in the immune system. Originating in the bone marrow and maturing in the thymus — a small gland in the chest that’s part of the lymphatic system — T‑cells focus on attacking specific foreign particles, including bacteria, viruses, and other microbes.

CAR T‑cells are T‑cells that have been modified in a lab to fight cancer cells. First, T‑cells are removed from the patient, then they’re engineered to produce proteins on their surface called “chimeric antigen receptors,” or CARs. These proteins help the cells recognize and bind to proteins on the surface of cancer cells. Once engineered, the CAR T‑cells are reinfused into the patient to do their work.

Learn more about CAR T-cell therapy

While Health Canada has approved several commercial CAR T-cell therapies, access is currently restricted to people with just a few kinds of leukemia and lymphoma, and only if they fall into certain age ranges. Commercial CAR T-cell therapy is also very expensive and involves shipping cells to the United States and back.

This new trial is the first to manufacture CAR T-cell therapy in Canada. It uses a different kind of cell manufacturing that opens the door to less expensive and more equitable treatment.

“We’re very excited about the preliminary results of this trial, and we will be moving forward with new and exciting trials across Canada.”

– Dr. Natasha Kekre

“Canadian patients deserve access to the best cancer treatments in the world, and we need Canadian research to make this happen,” says Dr. Kekre, who, in addition to her leadership with this clinical trial is also a scientist and hematologist at The Ottawa Hospital. “We’re very excited about the preliminary results of this trial, and we will be moving forward with new and exciting trials across Canada.”

CAR-T trial provides one last shot

Camille’s cancer journey up until this point experienced many hurdles and that happened once again with the CAR-T clinical trial. During the first attempt, she was sent back home because she had a lung infection. By the second try, Camille was having some neurological symptoms that included her face going numb. “The medical team decided to investigate, and they did a lumbar puncture that showed the cancer had gone into my central nervous system and they hadn’t been able to detect that because there’s a blood-brain barrier. Again, I was sent home,” recalls Camille.

“Obviously when I was told that this was my last shot I was terrified. I knew there were risks, but my options were limited. I took a chance, but I also know how passionate Dr. Kekre is about this trial. I did a lot of research about CAR-T and how effective it was.”

– Camille Leahy

She would have to endure lumbar punctures twice weekly with chemotherapy to clear the cancer from the central nervous system — something Camille describes as “awful”, but she didn’t give up.

Finally, Camille got the green light for a third trip to Ottawa, but the day before she spiked a fever. She remembers telling her family, “I know that there’s a chance I might not be able to do it, but I’m going anyway.” Somehow, the fever cleared and finally the team was able to go ahead with the cell collection.

Two weeks later, on September 15, 2021, she had the CAR T-cells reinfused into her body — reprogrammed to now be able to recognize the cancer cells and kill them.

Camille and her daughter waited to see if, finally, they would get good news. “Obviously when I was told that this was my last shot, I was terrified,” explains Camille. “I knew there were risks, but my options were limited. I took a chance, but I also know how passionate Dr. Kekre is about this trial. I did a lot of research about CAR-T and how effective it was.”

Immunotherapy research changes lives

It has been a long and challenging journey for Camille, but she is truly grateful to the entire team at our hospital who were ready to care for her when she had run out of treatment options. It wasn’t until one year after Camille’s CAR T- cell treatment that she really started to believe she could get better. After so many hurdles during this cancer journey, she knew it would take time and wanted to give it a year.

By September 15, 2022, she felt like a new person, and was cancer-free. “I’m back to driving, I’m back to feeling as normal as I can. Obviously, there’s always the fear, but I couldn’t walk last year. I was using a cane and a walker. I struggled a lot. But this trial changed my life.”

“Even if the cancer comes back, this has given me precious time, and I know the research will help many others. It has given me a fighting chance.”

– Camille Leahy

As Camille and her daughter, Michela, are back to doing the mother-daughter things they love, Camille is also advocating for the research that saved her life with the end goal of giving more patients hope. She wants to make sure CAR T-cell therapy is available to others who face an uncertain future like she did. “For it to become more widely available in Canada would be incredible. The research team at The Ottawa Hospital made it possible for me to have this treatment done here in Canada. I didn’t have to raise money to try and leave the country to go get CAR T-cell treatment in the United States. My goal now is to tell my story so that they can continue to do this in Canada and can become more available to everyone here.”

Camille and her daughter at a Toronto Blue Jays game.

Camille and her daughter taking part in MudGirl.

Today, at age 38, Camille is easing back into life and thinking about the future. When her immune system is strong enough, she hopes to return to work. Right now, she enjoys the precious time and memories she’s been given the opportunity to make with her daughter, like driving her to school, taking her to baseball games, and watching her play soccer — moments she doesn’t take for granted. “Even if the cancer comes back, this has given me precious time, and I know the research will help many others. It has given me a fighting chance.”

Learn more about the Canadian-Led Immunotherapies in Cancer (CLIC) research program, funded by BioCanRx, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, The Ottawa Hospital Foundation, BC Cancer, BC Cancer Foundation, the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada.

Download episode #75 of Pulse Podcast to hear Camille talk about why she’s become an advocate for cancer research.

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The Ottawa Hospital is a leading academic health, research, and learning hospital proudly affiliated with the University of Ottawa.

Categories: Clinical Trials, World-Leading Research

Growing up in a military family, Janet McKeage was always on the move. While the cities changed, her family’s open-door policy remained the same. Her parents were always ready to help others and give back, and to this day, she credits them for instilling that core value she and her husband now share with their four children. “My parents didn’t have a lot of money, but they taught me the importance of helping the people around you in any way that you can. Often, there were young military members who didn’t have family nearby, and they were always welcome at our dinner table — we’d often have many people joining us for a meal,” recalls Janet.

When she was in her early 20s, Janet lost her father to pancreatic cancer. He died several months after his diagnosis, but Janet vividly recalls the care and compassion he received from his team of specialists here at The Ottawa Hospital. Then, almost ten years ago, another devastating blow — Janet’s dear friend, Sindy, was also diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. “So that’s what brought me to support the hospital. I knew my dad had had great care. And I had a very dear friend that needed the same great care my dad received. Then, when I grew to learn more about the research side of the hospital, I was really blown away.”

“When I think about success for anyone in life, the most important thing is health — having a hospital in our city that is full of leading research, new discoveries, new treatments and having the best care that we can possibly have — it’s critical.”

– Janet McKeage

Today, as Senior Investment Counsellor, RBC PH&N Investment Counsel, Janet feels very fortunate to have a career that has spanned 30 years with RBC. It aligns closely to her own philanthropic values by helping families with their own health and wealth investments. Janet is quick to point out how closely the two are intertwined and that’s what influences her own philanthropic leadership for The Ottawa Hospital. “When I think about success for anyone in life, the most important thing is health — having a hospital in our city that is full of leading research, new discoveries, new treatments, and having the best care that we can possibly have — it’s critical.”

Janet’s involvement with The Ottawa Hospital Foundation began with Run for a Reason as part of Sindy’s #MEMC (Make Every Moment Count) Crew.

“It’s not about being involved with an organization because it looks good on your resume. It’s about really caring and doing things that are meaningful.”

– Janet McKeage

While supporting the hospital is one thing, Janet also took action. It started by running with Sindy’s #MEMC (Make Every Moment Count) Crew as a part of Run for a Reason. Next, she became a volunteer and then co-chair of our President’s Breakfast, then joined our Foundation’s board of directors, and in June 2022, became chair. “It’s not about being involved with an organization because it looks good on your resume. It’s about really caring and doing things that are meaningful. This role as chair of The Ottawa Hospital Foundation is a bit of a culmination of all the things that matter and allows me to bring some of my business background, my volunteering and dedication to something that I’m passionate about. I believe the hospital is critical and core to any successful community, to any family. Let’s face it, if people haven’t experienced the hospital to this point in their life, they certainly will one day, and I want to make sure that it’s the best for everyone.”

That’s why Janet is stepping forward for our GivingTuesday campaign on November 29, 2022, with a commitment to match each gift 3X up to $100,000.

Janet is more motivated than ever after recently learning Sindy’s cancer has returned. “It’s philanthropy that’s helped with the incredible care Sindy has received. It’s been almost 10 years since her initial diagnosis, and I’m grateful for every day. More research is needed to give people, like Sindy, hope for a better outcome,” explains Janet.

While Janet pushes forward to help build support for our hospital. She also keeps the powerful message of her dear friend close to heart — make every moment count.

Cyril Leeder and Janet McKeage, co-chairs of the President’s Breakfast for The Ottawa Hospital from 2018-2020.

2022 President’s Breakfast Co-Chair Sarah Grand with Janet McKeage, Chair of The Ottawa Hospital Foundation’s Board of Directors. Photo by Ashley Fraser

Download episode 67 of Pulse Podcast to hear how Janet’s philanthropy roots run deep.

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