From Patient to Volunteer: Tom’s Journey of Giving Back
It’s been more than 8 years since the ambulance sped up the hill to the West Parry Sound Health Centre Emergency Department with Tom McEwen in the back. Now he volunteers at the hospital and each time he walks through the door a wave of gratitude still sweeps through him.
“I owe this hospital my life,” says Tom. With a bright smile he says, “I still blame the Blue Jays though.”
It was the frustration of watching the Blue Jays lose a baseball game that drove Tom outside that day. “I decided I’d rather go for a drive on my four-wheel,” he says. “It was a beautiful day so I left my mother-in-law watching tv and headed out on a trail I knew very well.”
What Tom didn’t know that day was that someone had strung a strong wire across the trail, just high enough to catch Tom by the throat, completely severing his trachea and pinning him to the back of the seat of his four-wheel.
Northern Angels
Northern Angels are a dedicated group of donors who make a 5-year commitment to support health care priorities in West Parry Sound. Northern Angels helps ensure that everyone in and around Parry Sound who needs hospital care can count on the most up-to-date diagnostic and treatment equipment possible. Will you become a Northern Angel?
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The West Parry Sound Health Centre Foundation is the charitable arm of the hospital in Parry Sound, Ontario. Our mission is to inspire donors to help fund the euipment and building needs of the West Parry Sound Health Centre. Join us today and share in our commitment to ensuring excellent healthcare for everyone in the Parry Sound region
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About Our Health Centre
On April 8, 2005 through the combined efforts of seasonal and year-round residents and all three levels of government, a new health centre opened in Parry Sound. Situated several hours away from larger centres, the 70-bed acute care facility is an innovative health care institution accredited with exemplary standing.
With close to 700 employees, the West Parry Sound Health Centre is the largest employer in the area. WPSHC is an ultra-modern rural teaching hospital affiliated with the Northern Ontario School of Medicine and Canadore College.
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