“I’m lucky the ambulance brought me to the CHUM. If I had gone to a different hospital, I might not be alive today.”
At the CHUM, Peter found the care and expertise he trusts
Peter was home alone on the afternoon of Monday, April 15, 2024, when he started feeling chest pain. At first, it seemed familiar—he had experienced similar discomfort occasionally. In the past, two tablets of over-the-counter pain reliever would make the pain fade away.
“I didn’t like visiting the doctor before discovering the CHUM. In fact, I hadn’t gone to see one for a very long time. So, for five or six years, I had this problem, but I didn’t think it was a problem.”
This time, however, the pain reliever didn’t work. As he stood up a couple of hours later in the afternoon, he suddenly realized something was very wrong. He called 911.
“Once in the ambulance, the paramedics told me, ‘You’re having a heart attack. Don’t worry, we are going to the CHUM, and they’ll look after you.’ The rest is history.”
Peter describes the care he received in the Emergency Department of one of North America’s largest university hospital centres, under the supervision of Dr. Marie Guay, as truly extraordinary. He expresses deep gratitude for the CHUM’s state-of-the-art facilities, but even more for the dedication and expertise of the people who helped save is life.
“The staff was very kind and reassuring. They took the time to explain everything clearly. At midnight, when it was time for her to go home, Dr. Guay even came over and said: ‘I’m not leaving, I’m staying here with you to finish what we’ve started."
The team around Peter kept growing as the night went on. More specialists were called in to help, and stents were inserted to stabilize him. By the next morning, two cardiologists came to his bedside and uncovered the hidden truth: Peter had suffered several silent heart attacks in the past, leaving his heart badly weakened. He would need surgery.
Six weeks later, Peter underwent surgery and began his journey toward recovery. The path was not without challenges, but he could rely on the expertise of several doctors and other health professionals, whom he affectionately calls his angels—together with the team who stood by him during the terrifying 24 hours that followed his heart attack.
“I’m grateful to all those who cared for me—the X-ray technicians, the laboratory staff, the dedicated nurses, and the attendants who kindly wheeled me from one department to another. It was a big city Medical Center at its best. World Class.”
Today, Peter’s heart isn’t perfect, but as he puts it, “It’s the best it can be.” From now on, he insists, all his care for his heart but also his overall health will remain at the CHUM.
“They never give up. They keep fighting for me. I feel truly fortunate to have found my hospital here at the CHUM.”
