John's Story
A single health provider from acute care to recovery
This merger is for patients like John.
On the morning of July 23, 2007, John’s life changed forever when an SUV swerved in front of the 24-wheel tanker truck he was driving, forcing him into a ditch along Highway 401. His truck was carrying 1.5-million litres of hot tar, which upon impact, broke free of its container and immersed the 42-year-old from head to foot in the smoldering liquid.
It took 40 firefighters, three paramedic crews and an air ambulance team two hours to free John from the wreckage. He was airlifted to Sunnybrook’s Ross Tilley Burn Centre, the largest and most specialized of its kind in Canada, where he underwent a series of life–saving surgeries to graft skin on to two–thirds of his body.
After six months at Sunnybrook and countless surgical procedures, John’s life was saved and it was time to start rebuilding it. He was transferred to St. John’s Rehab Hospital, home to the province’s only rehabilitation program for burn patients. John began his rehabilitation by relearning simple things he has always done: holding a pen, using a fork and eventually walking. After months of intensive inpatient rehab, he was ready to return home to his new life. Shortly after being discharged from hospital, John met Ana and they were later married. He continues to receive outpatient care at both St. John’s Rehab and Sunnybrook and he has made consistent progress in his rehabilitation.
Patients like John, and the more than 1.2 million others who rely on Sunnybrook and St. John’s Rehab from critical and acute illness or injury through to rehabilitation and recovery, can remain confident in their care. Through this merger, access and coordination of care will improve and one strong organization will emerge that will be there for them when it matters most.