When Jenna Lorette took her 2-year-old son, Heddwyn, to Georgian Bay General Hospital (GBGH) to get a few stitches after a fall, she had no idea that they would spend the next three days in hospital.
In November 2021, Heddwyn was sick with a cold that just wouldn’t go away. One night, before bed, the busy toddler fell and hit his chin, and Jenna and her husband Andrew determined that he probably needed stitches. So, while Andrew stayed home with their older daughter Anna, Jenna took Heddwyn to GBGH.
It was during triage that the nurse noticed Heddwyn’s oxygen levels were dangerously low. She quickly took Jenna & Heddwyn to a treatment room and Emergency Physician Dr. Vikram Ralhan was called in.
“Within a few minutes we were into a room, my son was on oxygen and there were four nurses and doctors there working on our case,” shares Jenna. “The staff were so helpful and kind to my son, who was struggling to keep the oxygen mask on, and Dr. Ralhan was so incredible. He was on the phone with respiratory specialists from SickKids Hospital throughout the night. I could tell he was at the end of his shift, but he reassured me that he was not leaving until he knew my son was taken care of.”
The next morning, Heddwyn was transferred to the pediatric unit at RVH, where he stayed for a few days before being diagnosed with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and asthma.
“Heddwyn was only a couple years younger than my own kid when he arrived at GBGH,” said Dr. Ralhan. “Despite looking relatively well, his low oxygen saturation was of concern, so I knew quick action was needed to stabilize his vital signs and prevent a rapid decline. We reviewed the case with the respiratory therapist at GBGH, consulted with the Sick Kids Bridge Team and our local on-call pediatrician before making the transfer to the pediatric program at Royal Victoria Hospital (RVH) in Barrie.”
Jenna and her family are incredibly grateful to the entire team at GBGH for their professionalism and swift action which led to Heddwyn’s diagnosis.
“The staff at GBGH made me feel at ease in a very overwhelming situation, and I knew that I was in the right place with the best care,” says Jenna. “We are so thankful that we have such an amazing hospital in our community. We will continue in our support for GBGH in the years to come, both our family personally, and through my business, The Mortgage Centre. We truly understand the need for the community to come together to care for our loved ones, friends and family who may need the services of our amazing local hospital.“
If you would like to share your GBGH story with us, please contact Jen Russell (russellj@gbgh.on.ca).