"You saved me and gave me my life back so I can be with my family."
In 2010, Elsie Hermoso moved to Canada from the Philippines to provide for her family back home. Ten years later, her recently reunited family faced a life-threatening situation.
When Elsie moved to Canada to become a nanny, she had two children from a previous marriage that had to stay in the Philippines until she was able to sponsor them to come to Canada.
“I decided to apply to become a caregiver in Canada to be able to give more of a future to my children," said Elsie. "It was really hard to be away from them for that long, but I know it was the best decision I could have made.”
She met her current husband a few years later and they decided they would wait to have a baby until she was able to sponsor her other children to come to Canada to live with them. In May of 2017, her two daughters were finally able to come to Canada. Shortly after, she welcomed her first son TJ. Fast forward to 2020, and she was prepared to give birth to her second son.
Elsie presented in spontaneous labour in July of 2020, and was taken to the operating room at Georgetown Hospital, where she gave birth to her second son Travis. Elsie developed some complications afterwards that resulted in blood loss and she had to return to the operating room at Georgetown Hospital.
“I had to be transferred to Milton Hospital, and then to Oakville Hospital for different treatments and operations. It was overwhelming, but I was treated by amazingly talented nurses and doctors at all three hospitals. The care they gave me was exceptional, and I could not have asked for more. I didn’t even have to ask for anything because they would just anticipate my needs. I would like to point out that the juice with ice were incredible!”
Elsie had a protracted stay in all three Intensive Care Units in Halton Healthcare. Having the most technologically advanced equipment at Georgetown Hospital was essential to react to fast-paced situations like Elsie’s, and helped our physicians and staff work quickly to save her life.
In order to successfully treat Elsie, many types of medical equipment were used such as an ultrasound, rapid infuser, vital signs monitor and many surgical instruments. All of this equipment was funded by generous donors from our community. Elsie recognizes that having healthcare close to home is truly something that shouldn’t be taken for granted.
“A big THANK YOU, to my doctors, nurses, housekeeping staff, and everyone at all three hospitals," said Elsie. "You saved me and gave me my life back so I can be with my family. After being away from my children for so long, I can go home to them and live many more years with them. We are finally all together again.”
- Elsie Hermoso, Patient, Georgetown Hospital