Dr. Manoj Sayal

It was a busy night at Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital (OTMH).

My colleagues and I had already spent several hours in the OR, performing many emergency surgeries. But, as the surgeon on call, my work was not yet over. A patient had arrived in our Emergency Department by ambulance. David was in severe septic shock and urgently needed lifesaving surgery.

This also happened to be David’s 45th birthday. As we took him into the operating room, I vowed to do everything in my power to ensure it wouldn’t be his last.

That night, I performed what would be the first of numerous surgeries to save David’s life.

The operation was just the beginning of his long and difficult journey to recovery. Over the next three months, David received care in our ICU, in the Respiratory Unit and in our Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit.

When I think about David’s experience here at OTMH, I’m so glad he was able to find all the excellent care he needed close to home.

David spent several weeks on life support, closely monitored by an incredible team of respiratory therapists. His nurses continually went the extra mile to make sure he was comfortable and to reassure his frightened family.

As David’s wife, Rachel says,

We owe Dave’s life to the care he received at OTMH. We know that he would not be here without it.

Finally, the day arrived when David was well enough to move to the Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit. With his therapists by his side, he spent three weeks regaining his strength and getting back on his feet.

And then, David and his family got the news they’d been hoping for. It was time for him to leave the hospital behind. David was going home to his wife and their two young children.

That’s what we want for every patient who turns to us. No matter how sick they are, your family, friends and neighbours deserve the best care possible so they too can go home to their loved ones.