Bringing a family together

Wissam Hassoun met her grandparents for the first time in summer 2015 when she made the journey to Lebanon with her parents. This wasn't an ordinary family trip because at only three and half years old, Wissam has a very rare mitochondrial disease that affects every organ in her body and needs 24-hour care. The disease has no cure.

Wissam Hassoun

Patient Wissam Hassoun


Firaz Hassoun remembers being referred to North York General Hospital's (NYGH) Paediatric Complex Care Clinic when his daughter wasn't eating solids around the age of one. “We feel very fortunate to have been referred to a team who really got to know, support and care for our family,” he says.

The Paediatric Complex Care Clinic acts as a one-stop centre, close to home, providing care and coordinating treatment for children with complex medical conditions such as extremely premature birth, cerebral palsy, and those who do not have a clear diagnosis. Over the past two-and-a-half years, the complex care team monitored, treated, diagnosed and coordinated care for Wissam and provided emotional and supportive counselling for her parents.

In July, Firaz and his wife promised each other that if Wissam made it through her last critical care hospital admission, they would take her to meet her grandparents in Lebanon.

Dr. Ronik Kanani and his team truly went above and beyond to help us bring our family together,” says Firaz. “In less than two weeks, the team helped secure medication, oxygen and equipment needed for the entire trip. They worked with the airline to ensure all the right arrangements were made and provided up-to-date medical documentation if Wissam needed to be hospitalized in Lebanon.”

A lot of coordination was involved in preparing for this trip. The complex care team sat down with Firaz and his wife to discuss some of the risks and ensure they understood that this trip would have its challenges. “Our team specializes in working with families with challenging health situations, and I am extremely proud that we were able to help make this trip possible for the Hassoun family,” says Dr. Kanani, Chief of Paediatrics at NYGH and Physician Lead for the Paediatric Complex Care Clinic. “This was really a team effort.”

Dr. Kanani stayed connected to Firaz by email so he could monitor Wissam's health while she was overseas. “It was great to get updates on Wissam's health, but at the same time it was also stressful since we knew she was very unwell,” says Dr. Kanani.

After two hospital admissions to the critical care unit in Lebanon, Wissam was well enough to return to Canada in September. Firaz explains how staying connected with Dr. Kanani throughout the trip helped put his family at ease, because they were able to consult with someone they trusted and who understands their daughter's health condition.

“This team is truly amazing and has made a world of difference for our family,” says Firaz.

North York General Hospital's Paediatric Complex Care Clinic Team

 

The Paediatric Complex Care Clinic team from left: Dr. Shawna Silver, Paediatric Physician; Dr. Melanie Ostreicher, Clinical Fellow, Paediatric Medicine; Dr. Ronik Kanani, Chief of Paediatrics at NYGH and Physician Lead for the Paediatric Complex Care Clinic; Valerie Hau, Registered Dietitian; Andrea Peter, Social Worker; Melissa Bradley, Nurse Practitioner; Wanh Porter, Occupational Therapist; Irene Au, Community Care Coordinator. Not in the photo: Jessie McCann, Unit Secretary.

This article first appeared in the December 2016January 2016 issue of The Pulse.

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