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A family affair

Elsie Lui and her family have called MSH their hospital for more than 25 years.

Sleepless nights

Elsie Lui hadn’t slept properly in months. Every night her hand would go numb, waking her up. It got so bad that she had trouble getting out of bed some mornings because her whole arm would be numb.

Her family doctor suspected carpal tunnel syndrome, and sent her for tests, as well as an appointment to see a neurologist at a place she knew well – Oak Valley Health’s Markham Stouffville Hospital (MSH).

Elsie and her family have trusted MSH with their care for more than 25 years. MSH has given them the chance to celebrate more of life’s special moments together, despite the challenges they faced as a family.

Hospital staff like family

Elsie’s sister, Connie, was the first in their family to experience MSH’s high level of care. Connie had a rare syndrome that caused her bones to be extremely fragile and grow irregularly. This made her susceptible to fractures that couldn’t be treated with traditional casts, and every time she broke a bone, she had to stay in the hospital for two or three months.  

Over the years, the MSH staff became like family. They treated Connie with so much kindness and compassion.

“I’ll never be able thank them enough,” Elsie says. “Over the course of her illness that caused many complications, Connie was seen in almost every department and was admitted more times than I can count.”

Unfortunately, in 2019, in spite of the MSH staff’s exceptional patient care, Connie passed away in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), at the age of 58, due to complications from pneumonia.

Your support makes it possible for your hospital to be there – ready and equipped to care for you and your loved ones in your own moments of need.

Elsie Lui

A life-saving diagnosis

Elsie recalls that the talented staff and MSH profoundly touched the lives of the Lui family in other ways, too. They saved her dad’s life – giving him precious time to enjoy life’s moments with their family.

Elsie’s dad was diagnosed with heart disease at MSH, and while in the hospital suffering from his second heart attack,  one of his doctors noticed that his hemoglobin was low. After doing a scope they found that Elsie’s dad had colon cancer. Thankfully, within 72 hours he was able to receive surgery to remove the tumour, and this successful operation extended his life.

“I’ll always be thankful for every beautiful day we had together – celebrating birthdays, holidays, and life’s best moments,” says Elsie.

Successful surgeries and happy outcomes

Even Elsie’s mom received excellent care at MSH, when she – like Elsie – was diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome that required surgery on both of her hands.  Dr. John Kao, her surgeon, did an exceptional job, so much so that you could hardly see the incision and Elsie’s mom didn’t have a scar after the procedure.

Elsie was so relived when she was also referred to Dr. Kao for her carpal tunnel surgery in 2023. She knew she was in good hands. The procedure only took ten minutes and then Elsie was able to go home to recover, and that night she was able to have her first good sleep in months.

Today, Elsie is doing wonderfully. Thanks to Dr. Kao’s expertise and the physiotherapy Elsie received at MSH, she has made a full recovery – and just like her mom, there’s no scar.

Elsie looks back at all of the life moments she and her family were able to share because of MSH over the years with gratitude. They have said goodbye to loved ones within MSH’s walls, and also been able to celebrate successful surgeries and happy medical outcomes.

“Your support makes it possible for your hospital to be there – ready and equipped to care for you and your loved ones in your own moments of need,” says Elsie, thankful for our community’s support. “It ensures that your family, friends, and neighbours can receive the leading-edge care they rely on – close to home at MSH."

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