Last fall, Dave Stubbs—a father, husband and retired ad agency creative director—suddenly started experiencing excruciating headaches, nausea and dizziness.
His family doctor ordered a series of tests to identify the cause, but everything came back normal. Then, one Saturday at 8 a.m., his doctor called and asked him to come into her office right away.
There, he received news that would change his life. She suspected he may have a brain tumour, and she wanted him to go to his local emergency department right away. That same afternoon, following a CT scan, it was confirmed: a tumour was growing on his brainstem.
“That hit me like a ton of bricks,” he says. “It was pretty scary.”
But his fear was short-lived. Dave was immediately transferred to St. Michael’s Hospital, where he was placed under the care of Dr. Saira Alli, St. Michael’s newest skull-based neurosurgeon.
“Right from that moment on, it was a fantastic experience,” he says. “I was blown away by the care I received from the second I got to St. Michael’s until the day I was discharged.”
Following additional tests, Dr. Alli walked Dave through her plan of action—a series of complex procedures and surgeries to drain fluid building around his brain and remove the tumour.
“Dr. Alli went into great detail about the process and the risks and answered all of my questions,” says Dave. “She and her team knew exactly what they were doing and brought my anxiety level down considerably. I trusted her completely.”
Within three days of arriving at the hospital, Dave’s tumour was successfully removed.
Over the next few weeks, Dave remained under the close watch of Dr. Alli and her team. He recalls one particular night when a suture had popped open and Dr. Alli happened to be doing her rounds.
“It was 3 a.m. and she said, ‘I’m just going to suture this myself and get it taken care of,’” says Dave. “She got right down to business and closed it up on the spot. It healed up beautifully.”
Dave was officially discharged on Christmas Day—just in time to spend the holiday with his wife and two daughters. Within just a few months, he was feeling well enough to get out for walks, get back into the swimming pool and return to his regular routine.
When he reflects on his experiences, what stands out most is the exceptional care he received from Dr. Alli and her team.
“It was very personal and very human,” he says. “I felt like I mattered, and I felt that everyone I came into contact with actually cared.”
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