It was 5:30 in the afternoon by the time Jennie Ireland received the diagnosis she’d been dreading.
She’d spent the day trying to keep busy, but the moment of truth had arrived. She held her breath as her doctor sat down across from her. When she heard the words, “It’s not good news,” life as she knew it came to a screeching halt.
As a 42-year-old single mom with a seven-year-old son and aging parents, the breast cancer diagnosis put her in a state of panic.
“I was completely terrified and desperately worried about the future,” she says. “Getting sick put everything I loved at risk. It could have devastated my life in more ways than one.”
Jennie remembers that time around her diagnosis as a difficult one, when she had to make tough decisions. On sleepless nights, she worried what her illness would mean for her son, Liam. “Would I be able to take him to his hockey practices and help him with his schoolwork? Would I watch him grow up? And my parents — would I be there to help them as they got older?”
Jennie explains what she was most concerned about. “The thought of leaving them all behind was unbearable.”
Jennie refused to give up hope, though. For the many people in our region who have experienced or supported a loved one through a medical crisis — whether it was cancer or one of the hundreds of other reasons anyone could find themselves needing the hospital — they too know how hard it can be. Not only coping with an illness itself, but the impact on all the areas of life.
“That’s why receiving care at Peterborough Regional Health Centre was my lifeline,” says Jennie. “Being able to get care in my community meant less worry and, I believe, had a positive impact on my recovery. Without it, I would’ve had to travel to Toronto, Oshawa or even Kingston, for months on end. But since I was able to get care close to home, I could focus on what mattered most — getting better and keeping life as normal as possible for my son.”
Jennie later discovered that it was because of the generosity of donors that she didn’t have to travel for treatment.
“Because the government doesn’t fund equipment, it’s donors who fund the technology that PRHC’s expert, compassionate healthcare teams use to provide lifesaving care to patients like me,” she says. “Donations really do make a difference. I know I didn’t realize the full extent, though, until I experienced it firsthand.”
Jennie says that once she had a diagnosis, it felt like everything started to happen at once.
“My days were filled with scans, surgeries, and rounds of chemo and radiation,” she says.
That led to her becoming familiar with every corner of the hospital, from the CT and MRI suites in Diagnostic Imaging, to the operating rooms, cancer care unit, radiation suite, and even, on occasion, the Emergency Department.
It’s all this behind-the-scenes, donor-funded care that makes it possible for PRHC to provide lifesaving care — right here in Peterborough — under one roof. This allows patients like Jennie to focus solely on their health without the added stress of arranging travel, meals, and lodging.
“My dad drove me to my appointments,” says Jennie. “My mom cooked dinner on infusion days when I was at my weakest and dealing with chemo side effects. Most importantly, I didn’t have to disrupt my son’s daily routine.”
Now, as she celebrates her sixth year as a survivor, Jennie is embracing every moment with her family with an even deeper appreciation. Every warm hug. Every infectious laugh. Every precious memory.
“Everything,” she stresses. “Because I’m aware of how easily it could all be taken away. So, I’m so thankful for all the ways donors have supported world-class care of all kinds at our hospital.”
Jennie says she was amazed to find out that more than 600,000 people in the region rely on PRHC for patient care. Patients come from the city and county of Peterborough and as far as the City of Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland County, east Durham, and the Haliburton Highlands.
They come to PRHC for lifesaving treatment for cancer, heart attacks and strokes. For surgery so they can feel good again, and for mental health treatment so they can have hope. They come in emergencies, and when they’re living with chronic conditions. They come to have babies, and sometimes, they come to say goodbye.
This past June, PRHC turned 15 years old, meaning much of the hospital’s equipment is no longer new. Jennie says she became a PRHC Foundation supporter to help the health centre upgrade its technology so that more patients can get the care they need when they need it most, right here. Her support is also a testament to her gratitude for her own care experience.
This past winter, she shared her patient story as a Hockey Mom Ambassador for the Peterborough Petes Pink in the Rink fundraising initiative for PRHC, and she regularly participates in events like the annual Peterborough’s Dragon Boat Festival that benefit the hospital.
Jennie is also representing the PRHC Foundation as a patient ambassador. She’s shared her story through a fundraising appeal letter to residents of our region, explaining that world-class care here can only continue with everyone’s help.
“The question we have to ask ourselves is ‘when patients come to PRHC from all over the region, will the care they need be there, close to home? Or will they have to travel far from their loved ones?’ It’s really up to us to decide,” she says.
You can help shape the future of patient care at Peterborough Regional Health Centre. To find out more or to donate in support of your hospital, please visit prhcfoundation.ca or call 705-876-5000.
This branded editorial was supplied by the Peterborough Regional Health Centre Foundation. If your organization or business is interested in a branded editorial, contact us.
