Nat Brunette

Hi there! I’m Nat Brunette.

If you’re from North Bay, you may recognize my name. Since 1987, I have lived in North Bay, working as a teacher and guidance counsellor while volunteering at many local community organizations. In 2016, I retired from a rewarding 30 year career at West Ferris Secondary School.

Upon retirement, I was excited to invest my time in pursuing my many varied interests. Being able to volunteer within our community with local groups and help further their success is very important to me! Most recently, I was able to volunteer at the Boost National Curling Championships, helping showcase my community to many out of town guests.

Our region also supports my love for outdoor activities – especially golf and walking. This teacher may be out of the classroom, but as a lifelong learner, I am enjoying expanding my knowledge of other cultures through travel with my husband. Additionally, I cherish spending quality time with our four grandchildren.

Today, I’m writing to share my experience at our local hospital. I am so grateful for the care I received at North Bay Regional Health Centre. This is why I donate; to say thank you and help purchase advanced medical equipment to care for future patients like me.

Over the past two decades, I’ve suffered from several medical issues that have impacted my quality of life. Time with my husband, my family, volunteering and my ability to fully embrace and enjoy my retirement has been compromised. I had to be careful about so many things – my dietary routine, travelling away from home and for a period of time, any out of country travel plans were definitively out of the question. I’ve needed four laparoscopic surgeries over 18 years to help address and manage my conditions. Thanks to donations from people like you and I, our local hospital has the medical equipment to perform these surgeries.

Laparoscopic/minimally invasive surgery (MIS) is a surgical technique that requires only a few small incisions. Surgeons use specialized cameras and equipment to view structures inside our bodies on a computer/television monitor. MIS helped me not only recover quicker, but on several occasions, allowed me to return to the comfort of my own home the very same day.

In 2011, I was referred to Dr. Ravinder Singh. His calm and compassionate personality put me at ease and gave me confidence in our collaborative treatment plan. I felt very fortunate to have access to his vast medical experience and expertise. I was grateful for the time that he took to clearly explain all of the necessary information regarding test results and possible next steps.

As my condition worsened, our discussions eventually moved towards surgical options. It was a very stressful time. Dr. Singh never made me feel rushed through my multiple appointments and encouraged me to consider all of my options before making my own educated decision. In 2018, we moved forward with my fourth and final surgery using MIS. This surgery has given me my life back. I can eat what I want, when I want; my husband and I can travel again – whether to visit family or embark on an international adventure.

During my recovery in our local hospital, I was cared for by the amazing staff who treated me with great empathy and respect. Their compassion is the reason my husband and I make regular donations to our hospital. We recognize the absolute need for state-of-the-art medical equipment to locally care for our friends and family, and to attract and retain family physicians and specialists – like our incredible surgical team at NBRHC!