Hearts of Gold
Since the late 1960’s, Christine Martin has called North Bay home. It is where she spent most of her career working in healthcare, started her family and where she continues to enjoy her retirement with her husband George.
In 2018, Christine was diagnosed with melanoma and was quickly referred for surgery. A year later the cancer returned and Christine required an additional surgery followed by radiation and immunotherapy. “I was grateful I could receive immunotherapy at my local hospital – North Bay Regional Health Centre (NBRHC),” says Christine.
After her last radiation treatment, Christine suffered from painful burns and sought care at NBRHC. She was quickly accommodated by the team in the Ambulatory Care Unit (ACU).
The ACU at NBRHC offers same day care for patients not needing inpatient admission and general anesthetic. This means patients can be assessed, diagnosed, treated and go home the same day. Over the course of several weeks, Christine made numerous visits to the unit for treatment of her burns and dressing changes.
“I was always greeted with a friendly smile,” Christine recalls. “Their kindness, compassion and expertise helped me heal and continue my road to recovery after more than a year of cancer treatment. Without them, my recovery would have been a much longer and drawn out experience, and definitely more uncomfortable and stressful.”
Christine decided to make a donation through the Grateful Family Program to not only demonstrate her gratitude, but also help her care team continue to provide this quality care to other patients. With her donation, she chose to honour three staff with Golden Heart Awards that made her experience exceptional– Alice Vibert RN, Helen Fatum RN and Gisele Duquette, Clerk. They were celebrated among their peers and now proudly wear a Golden Heart Badge with their hospital identification.
“My family has supported our hospital for many years,” says Christine. “It makes me feel empowered knowing that my donations are impacting care available locally – for myself, my loved ones and my friends.”
“Having to leave North Bay for some of my treatment made me realize how extremely important it is for our hospital to be able to offer as many services as possible. I will be forever grateful for the care and compassion I received from the incredible team in the ACU. They healed both my body and spirit after several difficult weeks of treatment.”
~ Cristine Martin ~
Did someone make your recent experience at NBRHC exceptional? You can honour them through a Grateful Family donation. You can choose to honour staff, a physician or a volunteer that had a positive impact on your experience.