TREKKING NEW HEIGHTS FOR SURGICAL CARE
Markham group making a difference with adventure of a lifetime
Imagine if one of your bucket-list endeavours also doubled as a philanthropic summit.
That’s literally the case for a group of dedicated doctors and community members from Markham, who are about to take support for their hospital to new heights.
About 17,600 feet above sea level, to be precise.
This coming April, with an eye to raising funds for vital equipment for a new hybrid operating room (OR) at Markham Stouffville Hospital (MSH), the group of supporters, which will include a number of physicians and senior leaders from the hospital, will trek 154 km through the Himalayan Mountains from Kathmandu, Nepal, up to the basecamp of Mount Everest.
Among the trekkers will be Dr. Mitesh Mehta, who’s keen to join the hike to the highest mountain in the world for a host of reasons – personal and professional.
“Markham Stouffville Hospital is important to me. I work here. It’s close to my heart. And I see our need for equipment,” says Dr. Mehta. “Having recently turned 50 and having had multiple injuries over the years, I wanted to do something for me now that I’m healthy.
“And even though this is definitely on my bucket list, the trek allows me in multiple ways to give back – not just for me but also the hospital and the patients we care for.”
MARKHAM MUST-HAVES
Every year at MSH, 28 surgeons perform more than 21,000 surgical procedures for adult and paediatric patients. Although the hospital continues to respond by offering additional services, it needs help. The time has come for MSH to meet its growing demand and reduce its surgical and diagnostic wait times by outfitting a fluoroscopy-equipped hybrid OR. An imaging technique using real-time x-ray video, fluoroscopy is essential to perform angiograms, angioplasties, urological and other cardiac interventions. The installation of a fluoroscope will also enable future growth opportunities for other surgical procedures.
Support of Trek Everest will ensure leading-edge technology use in the OR and ensure a better overall care experience for MSH surgical patients and their families.
ADVENTURE AHEAD
Helping to raise funds for a new hybrid OR will truly be an inspiring adventure. After all, few have witnessed the veil of fog lift at Mount Everest’s Base Camp to behold the majesty of the world’s tallest mountain looming above.
The climb also commemorates the 65th anniversary of Sir Edmund Hillary’s first ascent to the summit.
Hosted by tour guide, Peter Hillary, Sir Edmund’s son, the expedition begins in bustling Kathmandu, Nepal, then departs by plane to Lukla where the trek on foot begins. Winding through the Gorkha valley in the Khumbu region, it’s the same air-thinning journey through the Himalayas made by every climber who has dared challenge Everest.
Trekkers will visit colourful temples, teahouses and monasteries, soaking in the rich culture, traditions and biodiversity of the region. Highlights include a special private Tibetan Puja blessing by the Head Lama of the grandest monastery in the region.
Canadian documentarian, Ben Webster, who successfully made the ascent to Everest’s peak himself, is the expedition’s leader. He will be filming the adventure and presenting each participant with a National Geographic-styled mini-documentary at the conclusion.
To join this once-in-a-lifetime expedition, trekkers pay their own travel and accommodation costs and raise a minimum of $10,000 in pledges from donors. The donations will go a long way.
“We live in one of the fastest growing region’s in the country, with a rapidly expanding and aging patient base,” says Allan Bell, MSH Foundation’s VP of Community Relations & Corporate Partnerships. “The new suite will be twice the size of our other ORs and will help our team meet increasing patient volumes.”
The Trek Everest Team will be treated to special sights off the beaten track. “It’s a living narrative,” says Bell. “To be guided by Peter Hillary through the Sherpa villages with visits to homes, schools and hospitals that Sir Edmund set up.” Trek leader, Webster, also knows the area well. “In 65 years, Sherpas went from being illiterate farmers of potatoes and barley to an educated people with schools and hospitals,” he says. “But after the devastating earthquake in 2015 they are in need of more help.”
NEPAL’S NEEDS
To answer that call, 10 MSH healthcare practitioners among the trekkers are travelling to Nepal five days early to assist in the field clinic with local Nepalese, Dr. Mingma Sherpa.
“This trek helps Markham Stouffville Hospital,” says Webster, “But also fulfills a huge need in the developing world. Markham thinks big picture. Thinking globally and working locally.”
“We wanted to continue the initiative that Sir Edmund began,” says Bell. “It’s a legacy component for the Foundation. Some people walk two days to come to the village to get seen by doctors.”
This marks MSH’s second trip with Webster as an expedition leader. In 2011, he led a fundraising team on a climb up Mt. Kilimanjaro. His leadership, then and now, cannot be overstated, says Bell.
“There’s only a 40 per cent chance that you’ll make it to the top of Kilimanjaro. But all 18 on our team made it to the top due to Ben. He motivates us. Kept us well. Tested our oxygen levels for altitude sickness. We had such a great group with him leading us.”
“It’s a privilege to share the trail with these people,” says Webster. “From the spirit of adventure to the spirit of giving back.”
Bell says the spirit that led to great success on the Kilimanjaro adventure has spurred the team on for Everest. “We thought we’d raise $150,000 on that trip,” Bell says. “But we raised over $550,000. So, we thought, let’s do it again.”
Anyone can sponsor a team member, says Bell, and there are actually a few spots left open for would-be trekkers. “What an adventure of a lifetime to be hosted by Peter Hillary on this historical occasion,” he says. “And to help make an incredible impact on Markham Stouffville Hospital.”