It was Thanksgiving weekend 2021, and Karen thought she had a really bad chest cold: “It hurt really bad”. She went to her family doctor, followed by...
Patient stories
The growing fight against rare but challenging cancers
One patient’s story of life after cancer treatment
Vera Samarkina has had a transformative decade. It was ten years ago that she was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. “My oncologist tried his...
Clinical trials provide hope for people living with early-stage Alzheimer’s: Janice’s story
*Only first name is being used for patient privacy. When Janice* began to have trouble with her short-term memory, she and her husband became...
A Creative Soul Proves the Value of Art Therapy
One morning in early May 2023, Helena Chu fell in her bedroom. For most people, that might mean a few bumps and bruises. For Helena, it kicked off...
A Journey of Hope: How Breast Cancer Patient Ada Nolan Overcame the Odds
At 34-years-old, Ada Nolan was diagnosed with breast cancer, a form called invasive ductal carcinoma. With three young children, and hopes of having...
Artist honours caregivers while lifting spirits of other patients
When 16-year-old budding artist Jessica Rotolo first arrived at Sunnybrook for a dermatology appointment in 2014, she was no stranger to clinical...
Gene-based treatment for Vision Loss
Retinitis Pigmentosa is a genetic form of vision loss. While rare, its impact on day-to-day living can be devastating, especially as symptoms usually...
Breast cancer program supports young women through the ‘complicated issues’
Young women with breast cancer face medical and psychological challenges that can be very different to those of their older peers.
What Sunnybrook patients are saying about Toronto’s Virtual Emergency Department
Hospital emergency departments continue to feel the pressure of high demand, with patients often facing long wait times to receive care. It’s one...