From difficulty walking to running 5k, HDGH patient praises cardiac wellness team for new lease on life
WINDSOR, ON – From struggling to walk to the hospital’s main entrance to completing a five-kilometer run, patient Lee Procter thanks the dedicated, compassionate and professional care of Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare’s (HDGH) Cardiac Wellness Team with his newly invigorated quality of life.
Sending through a smiling picture of himself from sunny Florida after completing The Disney Princess 5K, Procter’s smile is (mouse) ear to (mouse) ear, highlighting the impacts of motivation, consistency, and high-quality healthcare on an individual’s life.
“Well, this morning WE did it,” Procter wrote proudly in his email to the HDGH team. “Honestly, I could have gone another 5K – something I wouldn’t have thought I could do when I came for orientation.”
Where the last 28 days have been dedicated to bringing attention to cardiovascular health and the reduction of cardiovascular disease through February’s Heart Month, Procter’s story is a testament to not only the consequence of a cardiac event but also the importance of rehabilitative care.
HDGH’s state-of-the-art Petro Family Exercise Centre located at 1453 Prince Road, has been serving cardiac and pulmonary patients for the last 22 years with the goal of changing lives just like Lee’s. The interprofessional team of physicians, registered kinesiologists, registered dietitians, nurse practitioners, and social workers guide patients towards a healthy heart lifestyle, where the patient is at the centre of their cardiac wellness journey meeting their individual goals like running a 5K.
“I wasn’t running alone. I had all of you … running with me,” were Procter’s concluding words through his heartfelt email inspiring others of what can be accomplished if patients in the cardiac wellness program never give up.
