From the moment Madison “Madi” Leal from Guelph was born, her parents Sarah and Luis knew she would have a unique journey in life. “Madi suffered from a lack of oxygen to her brain during delivery, causing permanent damage,” explains Sarah. Not meeting her milestones and experiencing multiple seizures during infancy, Madi was diagnosed with cerebral palsy (CP), a condition that affects muscle tone and the development of motor skills.

Living Life to its Fullest

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SPRING/SUMMER 2019

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“Madi’s CP is severe and it impairs her breathing, swallowing and movement,” says Sarah.Madi began her journey with McMaster Children’s Hospital when she was two years old. To this day, the family still visits the Technology Access Clinic (TAC) at Ron Joyce Children’s Health Centre. “The TAC helps children and adults like Madi who are unable to use speech to communicate,” says Sarah. “The teams taught Madi to express herself and use augmentative communication devices like voice-output aids.” At the age of seven, Madi began visiting the Hospital regularly for injections to reduce spasticity, a condition that causes muscle stiffness. At 14, a gastrostomy tube was inserted into her abdomen so nutrition could be delivered directly to her stomach. Now an adult, Madi receives ongoing care at the Regional Rehabilitation Centre, which includes injections in the Comprehensive Spasticity Management Program and visits to the Adult Wheelchair and Seating Clinic. The Leals are grateful for the care they receive at Hamilton Health Sciences, which enables Madi to experience life to the fullest. They regularly travel as a family and enjoy the great outdoors as much as possible. “Literally hundreds of people across Hamilton Health Sciences have come into our lives and helped take care of my daughter,” says Luis. “This teamwork is why Madi is alive today and loving life.”

Living Life to its Fullest

is a proud member of

Perseverance of a Champion

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Natalie Hammond is a Champion. The 16-year-old from Burford recently travelled to Orlando representing McMaster Children’s Hospital Foundation at Children’s Hospitals Week. This celebration highlighted the importance of donor support to enabling the specialized care of pediatric patients.Natalie’s medical journey began when she started to feel extreme pain throughout her body during a dance class. An MRI at the hospital in Woodstock revealed that the pain was caused by tumours growing in her spinal column.“I underwent an eight-hour surgery at McMaster Children’s Hospital to remove the tumours,” says Natalie. Although Natalie still experiences some pain, her condition is improving. “I’m forever grateful for all that they’ve done for me at McMaster Children’s Hospital,” she says.Children’s Hospitals Week Canada was made possible by the generosity of Presenting Sponsor Walmart, Official Airline Sponsor Air Canada Foundation and Official Sponsor The Brick. As a Champion, Natalie is proud to be a patient ambassador who represents the world-class health care services available at McMaster Children’s Hospital.

To watch a video on Madi’s story or to donate, visit hamiltonhealth.ca/madil

Improving Emergency Room Care

Enabling Mental Health Support for Cancer Patients

Mental health matters in cancer care. In an effort to better meet the needs of cancer patients and their families, proceeds from The Foundation’s inaugural Illuminight fundraising event will enable the addition of a mental health program at Juravinski Hospital and Cancer Centre.“Mental health is such an important part of cancer care because cancer affects the whole person – physically, emotionally and socially,” says Georgia Georgiou, Director of the Integrated Cancer Treatment Services Program. “Taking care of a patient’s mental health is as important as taking care of their physical health.”The redevelopment of clinical spaces to ensure the appropriate therapeutic environment for these services is vital to the program’s operation. A variety of spaces will be developed to support private and family counselling, as well as group therapy. “Having in-house access to psychosocial experts will allow us to better address the full scope and severity of our patients’ mental health needs during such a difficult time in their lives,” says Georgia.

Today’s theories can become tomorrow’s medical advances, and donor funding is vital to important research work. Dr. Kerstin de Wit is one researcher at Hamilton Health Sciences who has benefited from donor support. She was a recipient of the New Investigator Fund (NIF) in 2015 and an Early Career Award (ECA) in 2017. These grants helped establish a clinical-research program to study older adults who visit the Emergency Department (ED), specifically those who are at risk of developing a brain bleed after suffering a fall. A further study is underway to improve how Canadian emergency departments diagnose blood clots in the lungs (pulmonary embolism). Building upon her Foundation-funded NIF and ECA research work, Dr. de Wit

was awarded a Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR) grant to lead a national study across 10 hospitals that aims to have a global impact on best practices in how ED physicians order head scans.

Through this innovative work, she is leading the way to minimize the time patients spend in the ED and reduce unnecessary CT scans to ensure the best possible patient experience and outcomes.

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5 km Walk and RunSaturday, September 14Register and fundraise in support of Hamilton General Hospital Foundation!

Bayfront Park, Hamilton hamiltonhealth.ca/strides

Have you ever wondered what it is like to be a chemotherapy nurse? Meet Registered Nurse Michelle Dawson, who has worked as a pediatric chemotherapy nurse at McMaster Children’s Hospital for 18 years. What does a typical work day look like for you? “In the outpatient clinic, our mornings are spent administering chemotherapy and transfusions to patients, as well as performing procedures like lumbar punctures for the 20 to 40 patients we see each day in treatment. Our afternoons are focused on case management, which includes booking tests and follow-up appointments. It’s also the time when we are available to our families. They know they can reach us to answer questions, or just to talk.” What do you look forward to the most when you arrive at work each day? “I look forward to seeing the kids. You become part of their family and there is a mutual bond that develops between us. You watch these patients grow on their journey and you celebrate the milestones together. People always ask me how I’m able to work with children who have cancer. It is because I’m inspired by the strong and resilient patients. I truly believe in miracles because I see them all the time in my patients.” We are fundraising to renovate the Oncology Clinic. What would you say to encourage someone to donate? “Kids need to be kids. The clinic is a place where patients can play with other kids while receiving treatment. Families also interact with other families who are going through similar situations. It’s a place that brings people together, and we need a bigger space that better addresses the needs of patients based on age groups. Donations will help make the clinic more comfortable and efficient for patients, families and staff.”

A Q&A with a Pediatric Chemotherapy Nurse

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The use of advanced new technology at Hamilton Health Sciences has the potential to help cardiac patients around the world.“EchoPACS is software that i s des igned f o r ana l yz i ng echocardiographic images of the heart,” explains cardiologist Dr. Darryl Leong. “The software helps

us understand how various components of the heart are working and whether the heart is beating normally.”The purchase of EchoPACS, made possible thanks to a donation from Doug Lamon of The Landmark Foundation, has enabled teams at Hamilton Health

Sciences to conduct research into various aspects of cardiac health.“This technology enables us to take sophisticated measures of the heart, giving us valuable insight into the development of heart diseases and how to best treat them,” says Dr. Leong.

Look into Your Heart

FOCUS

“A defibrillator is a critical piece of equipment for the care of our cardiac patients,” says Dr. Jeff Healey, Cardiologist/Electrophysiologist at Hamilton General Hospital. “It allows us to deliver a high-voltage shock to the heart and restore it to a normal rhythm.”This device is used in urgent cases to treat patients who are experiencing cardiac arrest, and for the elective treatment of patients with a rapid and irregular beating of the heart called atrial fibrillation. Defibrillators are used extensively at the hospital, particularly in the Electrophysiology Lab. An average of three procedures are done every day to correct irregular heart rhythms. “This equipment must be replaced on a regular basis, and the purchase of a new defibrillator was enabled by a generous donor gift from Gentlemen’s Charity,” says Dr. Healey. “The support of donors plays an important and often life-saving role in ensuring that we have equipment like defibrillators to deliver the best care possible.”

The Shocking Importance of Defibrillators

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FOCUS

An interventional cardiology team led by Dr. Tej Sheth at Hamilton General Hospital conducted the world’s first clinical trial of a new hybrid imaging catheter.“Previously, if we wanted to look inside of a patient’s artery for an angiogram or an angioplasty, we had to choose between one of two different technologies in a catheter,” explains Dr. Sheth. “Each has its

own advantages, but they couldn’t be used at the same time.”The new hybrid imaging catheter, which was developed in Canada, miniaturizes both technologies so they can be combined at the tip of a single device. Having access to both types of imagery at the same time enables clinicians to better visualize the

internal tissues of blood vessels, as well as any cholesterol, fat or calcium deposits. “We’re pleased that Hamilton General Hospital played a role in establishing the clinical value of this latest-generation technology,” says Dr. Sheth. “I’m excited about the potential of this new catheter to significantly impact the care we offer patients.”

A World’s First at The General

Hybrid Operating Suite – Under Construction

If you have driven by Hamilton General Hospital during the past few months, you may have noticed the construction by the north-west end of the building. Thanks to donor support, a state-of-the-art Hybrid Operating Suite is now being built and is expected to be fully operational by the end of the summer.The Hybrid Operating Suite integrates imaging technology and surgical equipment to support a multi-disciplinary team that performs minimally invasive surgeries and traditional open surgeries in one location. This innovative facility will support clinicians as they perform various cardiac (heart) and vascular (blood vessel) procedures. Numerous benefits exist for patients, such as shorter surgical times, faster recoveries and less pain.

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FOCUS

An innovative research project is aiming to help seniors improve physical and mental health through dance.“GERAS Dance is a program that is geared toward older adults who have early cognitive and mobility challenges,” explains Dr. Courtney Kennedy, Associate Scientific Director of the Geriatric Education and Research in Aging Sciences Centre (GERAS), within the Juravinski Research Centre on Aging. “We are interested in learning whether dance can have lasting effects in terms of improving cognitive health and preventing frailty.”When the program is ful ly implemented this spring, classes wil l be held at 12 different community centres throughout the region.

“When we learn new things, like dance steps, we are exercising our minds,” says Dr. Kennedy. “Dance is also physical exercise, and the hypothesis is that it’s the synergy of exercising the mind and body together, at the same time, that results in the greatest health impacts.”Participants also benefit from the social aspect of the program. Research indicates that isolation can have negative physical and cognitive impacts for seniors. Many new friendships have already formed that extend outside of the dance classes.“Ultimately we are trying to inspire a culture change – the idea that older adults of all abilities should take opportunities to exercise both the mind and body. GERAS Dance is really about maximizing the participation of seniors in daily life.”

Dancing to Better Health

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Dementia Care at Your Fingertips

When a person is diagnosed with dementia, processing new information about the condition can be overwhelming for patients and families. Thanks to the support of Foundation gala funding, Dr. Richard Sztramko and his team developed an online portal called “iGeriCare,” where geriatricians can “prescribe” relevant educational modules. The website is designed to enable patients, families and caregivers to access the appropriate information, at their convenience, in their own environment.New online resources are regularly added to the site as it continues to

develop. Interactive Live Events are one of the more recent additions to iGeriCare. These scheduled online sessions provide the public with an opportunity to discuss and interact with experts in dementia.

“A diagnosis of dementia can be overwhelming,” says Dr. Sztramko. “Such diagnoses often leave people in search of answers, which is what iGeriCare provides in a platform that is easy to access and understand.”

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A pregnancy can be one of the happiest yet most stressful of times for parents. When a newborn is critically ill, that stress is magnified a hundredfold. Neonatal specialists at McMaster Children’s Hospital lend their expertise and dedication to families like this every day. The Neonatal Transport Team is comprised of nurses with advanced training in neonatal stabilization. Two transport nurses can be dispatched to community hospitals throughout the region 24 hours a day, seven days a week to care for critically ill newborns and bring them to McMaster Children’s Hospital by ambulance.“The patients can be infants born very prematurely, as early as 23 weeks’ gestation, to full-term babies that are up to 28 days old who require stabilization and transfer to a specialized centre like we have here,” says Deb Bernard, Clinical Leader of the Neonatal Transport Team.

Respiratory distress is one of the most common reasons why the team is contacted for transport to McMaster Children’s Hospital, home to the largest Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in Ontario. “The team uses a special ‘transporter’ when dispatched to stabilize a patient,” explains Deb. “The transporter is essentially a hospital on wheels that is equipped with an incubator, ventilator and all of the necessary monitors and medications required to care for critically ill newborns.”Last year, the Neonatal Transport Team fielded more than 750 calls from community hospitals, with more than 600 infants requiring transport services.“It’s exciting to be a part of a team that’s able to help some of our most vulnerable patients and make a difference in lives that are just starting out.”

Transporting Critically Ill Newborns

2018 Donor Report Now AvailableOur donors and partners make a vital difference for patients and families across south-central Ontario. The 2018 Donor Report features stories about how donors have helped purchase leading-edge equipment, enhance clinical spaces, support innovative research and enable continuing education for staff.Visit hamiltonhealth.ca/2018report to view the report online, or request a print copy by contacting our office at 905-522-3863 or info@hamiltonhealth.ca.