Like all new parents, Imad Obeid and his wife were overjoyed to welcome their first son, Mahdi, into the world. That joy was soon clouded by a worrisome discovery: Mahdi suffered from a disfiguring and dangerous malformation of his skull.
Teamwork and innovation bring new hope
Fortunately for the Obeids, a new multidisciplinary team at the Montreal Children’s Hospital of the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) specializes in treating severe craniofacial deformities, which affect abut one in every 2,500 Quebec children. Under the leadership of plastic surgeon Dr. Mirko Gilardino and orthodontist Dr. Broula Jamal, the team of 19 specialists brings together disciplines like neurosurgery, pediatrics, dentistry, genetics, otolaryngology and ophthalmology to make sure children suffering from these conditions have the best possible chance of a normal life.
For Mahdi, this meant a complex six-hour surgery involving the plastic surgery and neurosurgery teams when he was just eight months old. The operation was a complete success, and the Obeids are now at home raising a happy, healthy and normal young boy.
The new Children’s: making the best even better
Success stories like this one happen every day within the walls of the Montreal Children’s Hospital. But these walls are now more than 50 years old, and were not designed to accommodate the complex technologies and sophisticated equipment needed to perform operations like Mahdi’s.
That’s where the new Montreal Children’s Hospital on the MUHC’s Glen Campus comes in. With brand new, state-of-the-art operating theatres designed to house the most advanced surgical and imaging equipment, surgeons like Dr. Gilardino will have the best tools at their disposal to help kids like Mahdi.
“There is nothing more gratifying than knowing you’ve given a seriously ill child a chance at a healthy and functional adulthood,” says Dr. Harvey Guyda, Associate Executive Director of the Montreal Children’s Hospital. “The new Children’s at the Glen will give us everything we need to make sure as many kids and parents as possible walk out our doors knowing they will probably never have to walk back in.”
The new Children’s has been designed from the ground up with the needs of its young patients in mind. Single-patient rooms with comfortable family spaces will help control infections while allowing parents to visit and stay overnight. Efficiently-designed inpatient units will mean nurses can easily monitor their patients and be at a child’s side at a moment’s notice. Cheerful colours, soothing materials and easy navigation will help ease the stress of a hospital stay. And, with the one of the most advanced pediatric health care environments in North America at their disposal, the talented caregivers at the Montreal Children’s Hospital will be able to send more children like Mahdi back to their homes, their schools and their friends with a clean bill of health.
A healthier future starts today
Construction of the new Montreal Children’s Hospital will begin before the end of this year. “We’ve been waiting a long time for our new hospital,” says Dr. Guyda. “This is an occasion parents and children across Montreal, Quebec and Canada should celebrate.”
For kids like Mahdi, the new Children’s will be a place they will never remember visiting. But for parents like the Obeids, it will be a place they will never forget.
“The new Montreal Children’s Hospital at the Glen will give us everything we need to make sure as many kids and parents as possible walk out our doors knowing they will probably never have to walk back in.”
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