When Seconds Matter

Having a primary care hospital a few kilometres away from home, made a world of difference for Chris Sanders of Picton.

As an avid golfer and lover of the outdoors, Chris never expected his life’s story would include a tale of survival. But on July 4, 2019, Chris’s life changed in a dramatic, literally heart-stopping way.

That morning, Chris got up and wasn’t feeling well. He decided to drive himself to Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital to see a doctor.

Upon arrival, the triage nurse recognized the severity of Chris’ symptoms and brought him into the department right away. Shortly after entering the department, Chris went into cardiac arrest.

Thanks to a quick thinking care team, under the leadership of Dr. Sarah LeBlanc and equipment provided by donors, PECMH Emergency staff were able to bring Chris back to life after he went into cardiac arrest not once, but two times, while a patient in our Emergency Department.

As Dr. LeBlanc did everything she could to get Chris’ heart beating again, the care team working in the Emergency Department including nurses Amy Weir, Meribeth Edwards, Natalie Mantini and Anita Young worked quickly to assist with CPR, prepare the defibrillator, and provide critical medications. The anesthesiologist working upstairs in the endoscopy suite rushed down, and Dr. Steve Blanchard ran from his office in the Picton Clinic to lend his expertise. It was a true team effort.

“In the Emergency Department, often minutes and hours matter. In Chris’ care, seconds mattered. As a team, we train extensively for exactly this situation so that we can provide exceptional care,” said Dr. LeBlanc.

After several rounds of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and defibrillation, Chris regained consciousness. Accompanied by Dr. LeBlanc and RN Natalie, he was transferred by ambulance to Kingston General Hospital where a lifesaving stent was placed to open a blockage in his coronary arteries.

Chris is now home, in stable condition, and awaits bypass surgery. To say thanks, Chris and his wife, Judy, made a donation to the PECMH Foundation to honour the care team who saved his life.

“I now know firsthand that state-of-the-art equipment in the hands of our skilled caregivers is the best investment that any of us can make in our own health care. This experience taught me a real respect for our local health care professionals and made me realize how important it is to have our local hospital equipped and ready for us when we have an emergency,” said Chris.

As our community hospital, PECM Hospital is the place you and your family look to for support when you need it most. Knowing you can count on the best possible care from our health care team – right close to home – is priceless.

Each and every day, our amazing medical team working in the PECMH Emergency Department is ready for you. They are a team of incredible caregivers who are ready to help you or your loved ones during a crisis.

Last year, there were 20,082 visits to our Emergency Department. On average, 55 people use our emergency department services each day.

It’s through the support of kind and generous donors, like Chris and Judy, that help to improve the quality of care given to patients who use our County’s hospital.

“To maintain our high level of care, it is extremely important that we work with partners in the community to continue to replace and invest in new medical equipment. Last year, generous donations from this community purchased over $289K worth of medical equipment for PECM Hospital. Having up-to-date equipment, like a defibrillator onsite saves lives, as we’ve seen here with Chris,” said Shannon Coull, executive director of the PECMH Foundation.

Nobody really wants to visit a hospital – but when you do need care, you want the very best you can get – close to home.

“We owe our deepest gratitude to our family, friends, and community who helped us through this frightening time. But most of all, we owe Chris’s life to the medical team at PECM Hospital. Without the dedication and exceptional care of the people working at our hospital, Chris would not be here today,” said Judy.

“I hope our community will be inspired to join Chris and Judy in making a gift to the PECMH Foundation. Together, we can ensure our staff and facilities continue to deliver the same unparalleled care Chris so gratefully received. Thanks to gifts from our donors, the PECMH Foundation is able to support equipment purchases and invest in infrastructure upgrades and redevelopment that keep PECMH at the forefront of healthcare,” said Coull. “Your gift to Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital Foundation is used to support your hospital, here, in Prince Edward County.”