It all started three years ago when Glenn Vickery was swimming at his Lake of Bays cottage and found himself in distress. He had difficulty breathing and as a long-distance, open water swimmer he knew something was seriously wrong.
He is grateful that his family GP Dr. Andy MacMillan booked him into the Huntsville Hospital and a heart murmur was detected. He was given an echocardiogram and the results were serious, stated Vickery on his fundraising page. Following his diagnosis, he was sent to South Lake Hospital for heart surgery.
“The Huntsville Hospital was instrumental in diagnosing my severe heart problem and setting a life-saving course of action including the long road of cardiac rehab,” he noted. “Although my surgery was at South Lake in Newmarket, community hospitals such as Huntsville District Memorial Hospital are key to diagnosing a problem and being key drivers in recovery.”
He is grateful for the care he received at the Huntsville District Memorial Hospital and is raising money to secure cardiac diagnostic equipment for the hospital. A cardiac echo machine is on the hospital’s list at a cost of $60,000. He’ll be swimming around Bigwin Island, about a 10-kilometre circumference to raise funds and awareness “that you can lead a productive and active life after major heart surgery and set aggressive/ challenging goals on your road to recovery. It is a celebration that I am back in Lake of Bays, in top form and loving life,” he stated.
He will start his swim at 8:30 a.m. before the wind current picks up and start and finish his swim at the main dock, east of the golf course.
“Swimming in Lake of Bays has been instrumental in my training and recovery regimen, and it seems fitting to add Bigwin Island to the challenge. It will be my longest single-day swim ever and I am nervous and excited to complete it,” he added. “It is my way of saying thank you to all of the front-line workers at the Huntsville Hospital and to advocate for funding and support for cardiac diagnostic equipment. I am hoping that you can support the hospital by donating to the cause and sharing the page.”
As of Wednesday, August 10, he had managed to raise 35 per cent of his goal and over $3,500. You can donate to a good cause and share and visit his page here.
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