Lauran’s story

I want to express how grateful I am to the staff at North York General for the wonderful care my mother received during her most recent stay in the cardiac unit.

My mother, Olga, has been a patient at North York General multiple times over the past few years. She’s now 92 years old and has congestive heart failure and kidney disease.

On January 31, 2020, she had trouble breathing and was rushed to the Charlotte & Lewis Steinberg Emergency by paramedics.

From the moment she entered the E.R., the care she received was incredible. The nurses were attentive, and the resident doctor was thorough in his examination and follow-up questions.

The staff were genuinely concerned about my mother’s health and called in a specialist to examine her. They thought she might have pneumonia and admitted her to an isolation room in the cardiac unit.

She received excellent care during her 11-day stay. From Shirley in the Emergency Department, who distributed food to patients, to the many nurses, dieticians and physiotherapists who helped her, the kindness and compassion they showed my mother was truly heart-warming. A smile and reassuring words went a long way toward easing her anxiety. I wish I could acknowledge everyone who assisted in my mother’s recovery.

Colleen, the nurse practitioner, went above and beyond when she insisted on calling in a dermatologist to look at the mass that had formed on my mother’s chin. Cardiologist Dr. Earl Teitelbaum patiently answered all my questions.

Dr. Richard James is my mother’s cardiologist at the Graham & Audrey Rosenberg Family Cardiac Care Clinic. When she was first diagnosed with congestive heart failure, we had no idea what it was. It sounded frightening, but Dr. James was reassuring. We knew my mother was in good hands.

Given my family’s experience, I am not surprised that North York General Hospital was ranked the second best in Canada and one of the top 100 in the world. In my opinion, the culture of compassion and caring among the staff at this hospital clearly makes you the best in the country.

I want to thank you for the care you have given my family. We are truly blessed to have you in our community.

With my heartfelt gratitude,

Lauran Sabourin

Grateful daughter