Have you ever experienced a scary time in your life when your health was at risk?

My name is Raymond Dallaire and unfortunately, I’ve gone through such a time recently. This is why the Hawkesbury and District General Hospital (HGH) means so much to me.

As a resident of the town of Hawkesbury, I find the hospital’s new infrastructure and the improvements that have been made to be fantastic! I am also amazed by the new services that have been developed as a result of the expansion. For example, my wife benefited from the new services in orthopedic surgery. She had a knee replacement in March 2021 at HGH as a day surgery. I also had a knee replacement 15 years ago; however, at that time, it was a surgery offered at the Ottawa Hospital. I received good care, but I had to be hospitalized in Ottawa for two days following my surgery. My wife, on the other hand, was back at home the very day of her surgery. She recovered very quickly and was grateful that her surgery and all specialist appointments were right here, in Hawkesbury. This is where you see the evolution of HGH and the impact of donor support – with new services now available closer to home, without having to travel elsewhere.

Recently, I was hospitalized for a little over a week and a half with a serious infection in my lungs – and received fantastic treatment. I saw with my own eyes that the staff is there to help us, and they work very hard. It was their exceptional care that kept me strong and helped me recover.

Here’s my story

I still remember the fear I felt the night I urgently had to go to the hospital. I could barely breathe. I was scared, because other than that, I was a healthy man.

As soon as I arrived at HGH’s Emergency Department, the staff immediately took care of me and did an amazing job. They determined I had a severe infection in my lungs. I was in a great deal of pain, especially with the tubes I needed to treat the infection. My wife, Pierrette, didn’t know what to do or what was going to happen. Having, so far, shared a life together for 49 years, you can imagine how frightened she was. However, the HGH team took good care of me, and I felt like a king under their care. I never felt neglected or abandoned. I could see how much they cared about me.

After about six days in the hospital, I felt strong enough to walk. The nurse helped me every time I asked to walk; she never refused my request and stayed by my side the entire time. Due to the kindness of the staff, it was easy to put the effort into trying to rebuild my strength.  It also helped me prove to myself that I could do it. Two days later, I could walk alone, of my own strength.

One of my nurses, even when I was no longer technically one of her patients, still came to see me to say hello and see how I was doing. Her kindness, compassion, and care were so comforting! But, while I greatly appreciated the attentive care I was receiving, I was eager to return home.

After I got home, the doctor from HGH called me regularly to check on me. I had a Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter (PICC line) so I could continue administering antibiotics for a few weeks, even at home. The doctor also called towards the end of the treatment to ask me to go for a final scan before I could stop the antibiotics. Two hours after this test, I got a call from the doctor to tell me the good news – my lungs were clear!

Why I am sharing my story?

I share this story with you, because this was truly the first time in my life that I suffered such a serious and frightening health issue. My wife and I both received such incredible care and support from the staff at HGH. We are forever grateful for their kindness at such a difficult time in our lives. The hospital and its staff are truly fantastic and exceeded my expectations.

This is why I invite you to support the HGH Foundation. Donations support important programs at HGH and really help patients. I have been able to benefit from the services my donations have supported – but I am not donating in order to receive. I give because I trust my hospital and I care about my community. We are fortunate to be able to receive care close to home, in a family environment, instead of having to travel elsewhere. It is very comforting. But, they need our help to ensure as many patients as possible can receive the care they need at HGH.

I have been a monthly donor of the HGH Foundation since 2007. So far, I have contributed to the redevelopment of the hospital, to the acquisition of the first MRI machine and the new CT scanner at HGH – and now, I am helping support the development of specialized healthcare services and the acquisition of the vital equipment required for these services. I know this equipment is not funded by the government, so this is why I have chosen to support the HGH Foundation’s fundraising priorities. I hope you will consider doing the same by sending them a donation today – even sign up for monthly donations, if you can. We will all benefit!

Giving monthly is easy. I don’t need to think about it and love the way it’s done. The donations don’t have a big impact on my budget, and I take pride in knowing that hospital patients benefit from my contributions. – Raymond Dallaire

How to make a monthly donation?

You can easily set up monthly donations through the Foundation’s secure online portal.