Bob and Janice Scott aren’t locals to Sault Ste. Marie, but when they needed help, they quickly found out about our brilliant hospital and famously warm welcome.
The couple often made Sault Ste. Marie a stopover when driving between Ottawa and their home town of Winnipeg. Everything was going according to plan until Bob started to feel some discomfort.
“We had stopped at the Tim Hortons in Blind River for a quick break, and when I got back into the car, I started feeling pain in my lower right abdomen.”
Bob decided that the pain was nothing to worry about and continued to drive. Still feeling unwell, he ate dinner and checked in to the hotel with his wife, Janice. When he still felt nauseous at 2am, he realized something must be wrong and had to search online for the nearest care facility. He and Janice then rushed to Sault Area Hospital.
The team in the Emergency Department quickly found the source of Bob’s discomfort. Using imaging equipment, they identified that something – most likely scar tissue from a previous surgery – was blocking his intestine, causing pain, inflammation, and nausea. Left untreated, this could become a serious problem.
Bob’s care team attempted to dissolve the blockage, but that didn’t work. His next option was surgery.
Memories from before the surgery are fuzzy for Bob, due to pain medication administered at the hospital, and Janice has had to fill in the gaps for him. She assures Bob that from the moment they reached the Emergency Department, to the moment they left the hospital, the care they received went above and beyond anything they may have expected. It left a huge and positive impression on Bob and Janice.
One of Bob’s first memories after surgery was talking to his surgeon, Dr. Reich. He awoke to a positive atmosphere, as the procedure had gone well, and the two laughed and joked together.
Bob was struck by the kindness and consideration of the care team. Visitor restrictions were in place to comply with COVID-19 guidelines, and the team ensured that Janice could safely visit her husband. They even helped her to find a local hotel close by, which offered special rates to families of patients in the hospital.
As people learned about their situation, Bob and Janice were amazed by the kindness of Sault Ste. Marie residents. On two separate occasions, people offered to take their laundry home and wash it for them – a housekeeper at the hospital, and a fellow patient’s family.
Bob is now fully recovered, but the couple have decided that they won’t be making the drive between Ottawa and Winnipeg any more. However, Bob will always feel a connection to our city.
“On the flight home from Toronto, I was watching the flight tracker and we flew directly over! I looked down and gave a little wave. I think that’s something I’ll continue to do whenever I fly over.”
The generosity of our community is more than memorable for visitors – it saves lives, too! The imaging equipment used to find Bob’s bowel obstruction, the IV that delivered pain medication and the surgical table used for his operation were all funded by citizens of Sault Ste. Marie and surrounding areas.
If you would like to help the hospital save lives, donate today.
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