Just after Christmas 2014, Henry Kostuck received the difficult news that he had developed skin cancer.
Wanting to ensure Henry would receive the very best treatment available, he and his family asked for a referral to Women’s College Hospital’s Mohs Centre – just one of two skin cancer clinics in Ontario and the only one in the Greater Toronto Area offering Mohs micrographic surgery.
An innovative procedure that treats aggressive non-melanoma skin cancers, Mohs technology ensures maximum removal of cancerous cells while also being efficient and cost-effective. In most cases, patients undergo biopsy, analysis and treatment all in the same day, reducing the total time spent in hospital and enabling a quicker recovery.
On the day of his appointment, Henry was accompanied by his daughter, Jessica. Although they went into the appointment feeling scared and overwhelmed, Jessica says that the care Henry received at the Mohs Centre quickly put their fears at ease.
“He would go in for a test or round of treatment, and every time he came back he was in such high spirits,” Jessica says. “He had the best things to say about Dr. Solish. At one point, my dad asked Dr. Solish if his was the ugliest nose he’s ever seen. The doctor responded that it wasn’t even the ugliest nose he’d seen that day! My dad came out of that round laughing.”
Jessica says that it was clear the Mohs Centre team truly cared, wanting to make both Jessica and her father as comfortable as possible. That highly personalized approach to care is part of what makes Women’s College Hospital such a special place.
Henry is now cancer-free. In late May, he walked Jessica’s sister, Sarah, down the aisle and is preparing to do the same for Jessica this coming September.
Wanting to give back to the hospital that gave them the gift of togetherness and good health, the Kostucks are proud members of WCH’s donor family. When Jessica and her fiancé get married in September, they plan to make a special gift of their own: in lieu of wedding favours, they will be donating to Women’s College Hospital.
Your donation today will save the lives of more patients like Henry Kostuck, who was able to walk his daughters down the aisle because of Women’s College Hospital. Thank you!
