Submission of Cathy Zuidema

To: Ontario Health Coalition

Date: March 4, 2010

Transcribed: March 17, 2010

My name is Cathy Zuidema. I am a mother of 4, I have lived in Wallaceburg all my life. I recently moved to Chatham with my family in November of last year. That was a problem in itself. Two days after we had moved my daughter had a severe asthma attack. I did not know what was going on. As a mother you are very concerned. I took her to Wallaceburg because I know Wallaceburg hospital. I’ve had my four children there so I brought her there. They got her immediately in because she was not breathing. They put her on ventalin and then again on oxygen. She got the care that she needed in Wallaceburg.

We had to wait to get a bed in Chatham. We got to Chatham in the afternoon and we brought her by ambulance. When we were in the hospital, a nurse from Chatham asked me why I went to Wallaceburg. I told her, I was mad, but I told her nicely because in Wallaceburg you get the care that you need and they considered my daughter as a person not a number. I can’t express my thankfulness to this hospital that they gave to my daughter.

As a mother you hear all these stories, but when it happens to your family you are so grateful that there is a hospital in Wallaceburg. That’s why you’ve got to keep Wallaceburg hospital alive.

Thank you.