The gift of gratitude
“For eight days we didn’t know if he was going to live or die."
In July 2022, John and Patricia Crow experienced first-hand why access to quality health care with advanced medical equipment can be the difference between life and death.
After two days of severe abdominal pain, Patricia brought John to the South Bruce Grey Health Centre’s (SBGHC) Emergency Department (ED) in Kincardine. Following initial investigations, it was determined John needed a CT scan. Prior to this, John had no significant past medical history and was otherwise healthy. With the SBGHC’s CT scanner being in Walkerton, John had to travel by car to receive the scan and return to Kincardine’s ED for results. This is a common occurrence for Kincardine patients who require CT scans for timely diagnostic and treatment.
“When I was asked to take John to Walkerton in the condition he was in, I was astonished,” Patricia said. “I didn’t make it five minutes away from the hospital when I knew something was really wrong.”
John’s condition was deteriorating so they immediately returned to the Kincardine hospital. John desperately required a CT scan to diagnose and treat the cause of his rapid decline, so he was swiftly loaded into an ambulance with a nurse and transported to Walkerton. The CT scan revealed that John was bleeding profusely in his abdomen. He needed emergency surgery to repair a blood vessel.
Upon returning from Walkerton, John received blood transfusions and his family was able to spend some time at his bedside while awaiting the ORNGE air ambulance. The air ambulance was en route when John took a turn for the worse. His care team sprang into action, assisted John to breathe, and gave him seven units of blood before he was airlifted to London for surgical intervention. He received a total of 22 units of blood throughout the course of his treatment.
John, who was born in Illinois and moved to Kincardine 30 years ago, spent the next eight days on life support.
“For eight days we didn’t know if he was going to live or die,” Patricia said, through tears. John underwent four surgeries over his two-week stay in London before being sent back to Kincardine hospital to await discharge. However, shortly after his return to Kincardine, he was airlifted a second time and was in London for three more weeks before returning home in September.
“I could not get over the excellent care I received in Kincardine hospital,” said John, 69, who shares 12 children with Pat, who he married 24 years ago, as well as 26 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
“If it weren’t for Dr. Murray, his nurse Skye, and all the staff working in Kincardine that day, he wouldn’t be here today,” Patricia added.
How you can donate
Make an electronic funds transfer to kchcf@hurontel.on.ca.
Donate once, annually or monthly using a credit card or PayPal through the Foundation’s page at www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/8930.
Mail a cheque payable to Kincardine and Community Health Care Foundation, 1199 Queen St., Kincardine, ON, N2Z 1G6.