Coming To The Edge
If you had asked Douglas (Doug) Todd about his health a year ago, he would have told you that he’s the healthiest guy on the planet. Doug was that neighbour who not only shovelled his driveway, but would help others dig their way out of winter without hesitation. “I am an archaeologist; I love to dig,” Doug explained with a smile. “But when I was dying in the driveway on that day in May 2022, it hit me that maybe I wasn’t as healthy as I thought.”
Friday the 13th
May 13th started as a normal day for Doug. “I was working from home, and I got a call about something cool a crew found who happened to be digging in the area. When work asked me to come out to identify the tool they had come across, I didn’t think twice. I went to the store and got some water and chocolate bars for everybody. I had to ride my bike to pick up my car from the shop. I had to throw the bike in the car, drive home, and get ready to get out the door. It was a bit hectic but nothing out of the ordinary for me. As I was getting ready to leave, I started to sweat, and I couldn’t get the key in the lock. It was the strangest thing. I kept trying to get the key in the lock, but my hand just couldn’t stay steady. By then, I knew I was in trouble.”
At the hospital
What happened next is not something you hear every day. “The only thing in my head was ‘go to the hospital!’ It wasn’t ‘take an aspirin and call 911,’ it was ‘drive to the hospital.’” So he did. “I got behind the wheel, and that four-minute drive felt like an hour and a half.”
“When I walked through that door, I thought I was dying. My chest felt like it was going to explode.” In the Welland Site Emergency Triage Room, Doug was quickly surrounded by doctors and nurses. “Mr. Todd, you’re having a heart attack,” one of the voices told him. “You’re in good hands.”
Doug’s heart had a 100% blockage on one side and a 95% blockage on the other. A first stent was put in right away; a second one was inserted during surgery at the St. Catharines Site a few weeks later. “I came to the edge that day,” remembers Doug. “And in a moment when I was faced with my own mortality, I was just so incredibly grateful for the team at Niagara Health. Everybody was so awesome. The nurses and the doctors… they told me exactly what was happening, which was so important because I had no idea. Every person involved in my care made sure to put my mind at ease. They were professional, educated me, filled in the gaps. I was never left guessing. It was reassuring, and it made me feel like I could breathe and trust that I would be okay.”
Doug’s gratitude
Thankfully, Doug is okay today. While the experience has taken a physical and emotional toll on him, he is grateful that he got to live. “To show my gratitude, I decided to make a donation to the Niagara Health Foundation. It may not be much, but I believe we each need to do our part. If everybody made a small donation, that would be a lot of money and will make a difference. I think helping each other out is part of our DNA as Canadians and as humans. The health system is something you take for granted until something happens to you. I’ve always been aware that it’s important to have a local hospital, and now that I’ve needed it and gone through it, I’m just that much more appreciative.” It won’t be Doug’s last gift to the Niagara Health Foundation.
“I’m very grateful for everything Niagara Health did for me, so I plan to continue giving. We all need our local hospitals. You’re either visiting somebody who needs the services and equipment and expertise, or you’re going to be there yourself. It’s an important part of the community.”
Coming To The Edge
If you had asked Douglas (Doug) Todd about his health a year ago, he would have told you that he’s the healthiest guy on the planet. Doug was that neighbour who not only shovelled his driveway, but would help others dig their way out of winter without hesitation. “I am an archaeologist; I love to dig,” Doug explained with a smile. “But when I was dying in the driveway on that day in May 2022, it hit me that maybe I wasn’t as healthy as I thought.”
Friday the 13th
May 13th started as a normal day for Doug. “I was working from home, and I got a call about something cool a crew found who happened to be digging in the area. When work asked me to come out to identify the tool they had come across, I didn’t think twice. I went to the store and got some water and chocolate bars for everybody. I had to ride my bike to pick up my car from the shop. I had to throw the bike in the car, drive home, and get ready to get out the door. It was a bit hectic but nothing out of the ordinary for me. As I was getting ready to leave, I started to sweat, and I couldn’t get the key in the lock. It was the strangest thing. I kept trying to get the key in the lock, but my hand just couldn’t stay steady. By then, I knew I was in trouble.”
At the hospital
What happened next is not something you hear every day. “The only thing in my head was ‘go to the hospital!’ It wasn’t ‘take an aspirin and call 911,’ it was ‘drive to the hospital.’” So he did. “I got behind the wheel, and that four-minute drive felt like an hour and a half.”
“When I walked through that door, I thought I was dying. My chest felt like it was going to explode.” In the Welland Site Emergency Triage Room, Doug was quickly surrounded by doctors and nurses. “Mr. Todd, you’re having a heart attack,” one of the voices told him. “You’re in good hands.”
Doug’s heart had a 100% blockage on one side and a 95% blockage on the other. A first stent was put in right away; a second one was inserted during surgery at the St. Catharines Site a few weeks later. “I came to the edge that day,” remembers Doug. “And in a moment when I was faced with my own mortality, I was just so incredibly grateful for the team at Niagara Health. Everybody was so awesome. The nurses and the doctors… they told me exactly what was happening, which was so important because I had no idea. Every person involved in my care made sure to put my mind at ease. They were professional, educated me, filled in the gaps. I was never left guessing. It was reassuring, and it made me feel like I could breathe and trust that I would be okay.”
Doug’s gratitude
Thankfully, Doug is okay today. While the experience has taken a physical and emotional toll on him, he is grateful that he got to live. “To show my gratitude, I decided to make a donation to the Niagara Health Foundation. It may not be much, but I believe we each need to do our part. If everybody made a small donation, that would be a lot of money and will make a difference. I think helping each other out is part of our DNA as Canadians and as humans. The health system is something you take for granted until something happens to you. I’ve always been aware that it’s important to have a local hospital, and now that I’ve needed it and gone through it, I’m just that much more appreciative.” It won’t be Doug’s last gift to the Niagara Health Foundation.
“I’m very grateful for everything Niagara Health did for me, so I plan to continue giving. We all need our local hospitals. You’re either visiting somebody who needs the services and equipment and expertise, or you’re going to be there yourself. It’s an important part of the community.”
