In late December of 2017, Melissa was diagnosed with a cardiac issue that required open-heart surgery. In the weeks following her diagnosis, her condition changed. In February 2018, Melissa was admitted to the Ouellette Campus of Windsor Regional Hospital and from there was transferred to Toronto General via Ornge. This transfer led to Melissa’s successful open-heart surgery.

Melissa told us:

“I will never, ever forget that day. While there are many things about my experience with the Ornge team that I remember, the thing that stood out to me the most, and actually took me by surprise, was how much they knew about my situation, right down to specific details.

I didn’t have the chance at the time to say thank you, or even a goodbye, but my gratitude for each of the crew who were a part of my transfer that day is appreciated beyond words.

For me personally, what the Ornge teams do every single day, does not go unnoticed. My house is in the flight path of arriving and departing helicopters at Windsor airport and every time I hear the sound of one of their helicopters overhead, a sound that is so familiar and now ingrained in my mind, I pray for the safety of the crew and the patient.

From the bottom of my repaired and fully functioning heart … THANK YOU!”

She also included a few photos that remind her of her 2018 road to recovery. This photo was taken when Melissa was released from the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre in Toronto after open-heart surgery.

 

This photo is from Melissa’s first post-op half marathon, seven months after her surgery.

 
A big thank you goes out to Melissa’s transport team. Paramedics include Michael and Bradley and pilots include Istvan and Mike.
 
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• Patients and Families