Chris Cobb

Home for the Holidays

It's tragic to think of a parent not being alive long enough to see their own children grow up. And yet, sadly, all too often I meet patients facing this potential reality.

Chris Cobb was one of these people. He arrived at Lakeridge Health's Oshawa site with a mysterious sickness that had caused him to lose 40lbs in just one month. His friends and family were extremely concerned for him, and
Chris was frustrated and depressed.

There's not much that can be said to comfort someone in this situation, but thanks to you, we can exhaust every possibility to help them get better.

Your support will help the doctors at your Hospital access the tools we know can save the lives of those struggling with serious medical concerns.

You see, Chris' doctors had been trying for months to fi gure out the source of his illness, without success. When he came to us, things were so bad that we had to admit him to the Hospital right away. Situations like this make your loyalty to Lakeridge Health so vital. When someone from this community is sick, and we don't immediately know why, we must have access to the most advanced diagnostic equipment that can help us pinpoint the problem.

Interventional Radiology is less risky than conventional surgery because it is minimally invasive in nature using small tools, usually needles and narrow tubes called catheters. Real-time imaging provides an 'inside look' for doctors, allowing them to diagnose and treat problems easily. And, because it's a speedier procedure, patients are often discharged the same day with small incisions easily covered by a bandage.

Lakeridge Health Foundation is raising funds to expand our Interventional Radiology program. We'll be updating our aging equipment and creating a new suite that allows the Radiologists to save even more lives. These upgrades will mean we can see twice as many patients as we do now!

The past commitment  of our donors helped doctors discover that Chris had a huge growth inside him that needed to be removed - immediately! But even after this urgent surgery, Chris was still extremely ill with what would later be diagnosed as severe pancreatitis.

"It was a surprise to me to be struggling with a problem so serious that I had to stay in the Hospital
for several weeks."

Chris and his family made the diffi cult decision to explain to their two school-aged daughters that their dad might not have much longer to live. "It looked like it could happen at any time, so we didn't want to wait," says Chris.

This is a conversation that no parent wants to have with their child. Your gift today can help more mothers and fathers stay alive to see their kids grow up. Thankfully, Chris was given this chance as well.

After many weeks in Hospital, and more surgeries, tubes and tests than he cares to remember now, Chris started to improve. "I am so thankful to the amazing doctors and nurses who helped me," says Chris. "I haven't really had the chance to thank most of them, but together, they saved my life!"

Today, Chris is recovering well from his ordeal, and is preparing to enjoy the holidays with his daughters. He feels strongly that anyone who lives in this community should help to fund medical equipment that could save their life someday. In fact, he plans to raise money himself for the Interventional Radiology Suite where he received treatment.

There will be others like Chris arriving at our Hospital in the weeks and months to come - people who haven't been feeling well but are not sure what's wrong. Your donation is needed today to help us to diagnose and treat them all in the least invasive ways possible.

Have a joyful holiday season from Chris' family to yours!