Barry’s Story

Carolyn and Barry have called Wasaga Beach home for nine years, having enjoyed a peaceful retirement after Barry’s career at Ontario Hydro until February of 2024 brought a health scare they never saw coming. 

It started with a high fever. Barry assumed it might be COVID-19 or the flu, so he and Carolyn made a trip to the Emergency Department at CGMH. Following initial assessments and treatment, they returned home. But things didn’t get better. A few days later, Barry’s fever raged on, and he started experiencing bladder pain, noticed blood in his urine sample and started receiving treatment from his family doctor. However, nothing seemed to work; Barry’s condition kept getting worse as his fever climbed to 105, and Carolyn could see he wasn’t getting any better. 

Back at CGMH, Barry was admitted, placed in isolation, and quickly diagnosed with sepsis. Hearing that word scared them, Carolyn recalls, “Just a year earlier, Barry’s sister had passed away from sepsis, and now he was diagnosed with it. We were terrified.” 

Fortunately, the team at CGMH acted quickly. Barry was given the right antibiotics, and over time, they started to take effect. After nine days in the hospital, Barry was better and ready to return home. 

Looking back, Carolyn and Barry can’t say enough about the care they received. “The team at CGMH was incredible, they saved Barry’s life,” Carolyn said. “We’re so grateful to Dr. Beisel, Dr. Lisi, Dr. Holloway, the nice nurse Cynthia and the rest of the team for everything they did.” 

Carolyn and Barry credit the expertise and compassion of the doctors and nurses for saving Barry’s life. “The hospital is doing amazing work,” they shared. “We all need to pitch in and support it, whether that’s through donations or other ways. The hospital needs the right equipment to keep saving lives, just like they saved Barry’s.” 

Barry’s story is a reminder of how skilled, compassionate care can turn even the scariest moments into ones filled with hope. We are grateful to the Cassells for taking their gratitude and turning it into action through a gift to the Foundation. A way to say thank you by equipping our healthcare teams with the tools and equipment they need to provide critical care to our community.