Mentoring with UpSurge support for Dr. S. Brar

By Beverly Guttman

Mentoring with UpSurge Fund

Being diagnosed with any form of cancer is a life-changing event, as I’m sure many of you know. The words fear, overwhelmed, and uncertainty go hand-in-hand with a diagnosis like that. Knowing that the tumour found in my stomach was rare and known to be aggressive made it even scarier.

 

At the same time, words like grateful, fortunate and thankful very much come to mind….for the support received from friends and family which has been unreal from the start, for living in Canada where healthcare is universal, for being connected to Mount Sinai Hospital which is an amazing teaching hospital, for the ongoing care I’ve received from various team members including nurses in the Endoscopy Unit and technicians in the Diagnostic Imaging Department who I’ve gotten to know quite well over the last three + years, and most importantly, from Dr. Savtaj Brar, my surgical oncologist at Sinai who is AMAZING. 

 

Dr. Brar is renowned for his life-saving surgical skills, particularly in rare stomach cancers, and is also the Program Director of the General Surgery Training Program at the University of Toronto.  I consider myself extremely fortunate to have Dr. Brar as my surgical oncologist and can see why he’s praised by many for his humanity and commitment to shared decision-making.  These qualities are obvious every time we meet and are so essential when dealing with horrible medical situations.  He truly is wonderful!

 

I continue to be monitored closely and will be for at least ten years.  I’m very lucky this was caught early (I may be the only person who’s glad they were getting regular scopes, which is why this was found when it was) and am beyond relieved there’s been no sign of spread.…YAY!!!!  As time passes, I’m definitely feeling more confident that this won’t ever happen!

 

In the fall of 2022, I started thinking about what I could do to “give back” in a meaningful way, given all that was going on in my life.  I worked with Dr. Brar and the Sinai Health Foundation to establish two funds to support two initiatives Dr. Brar’s involved with that have to do with patient-centred care and equity, diversity and inclusion.  These programs really resonated with me because, as someone who’s been an “active” patient for several years, and as someone who worked in healthcare for almost four decades, I know how important it is to provide care that's compassionate and patient/family-centred, and that it’s critical to incorporate equity, diversity and inclusion into all aspects of healthcare - not only for patients but also for staff.  

 

Those who know me know that this work is very important to me and close to my heart. With this in mind, I'd be very grateful if you'd consider making a donation to either (or both!) of these funds. 

Under Dr. Brar’s leadership:

The "Mentoring with UpSurge Fund” supports a program that provides opportunities for medical students from diverse and under-represented backgrounds who are considering a career in surgery to be mentored by surgeons through various studentships that otherwise, wouldn't be available to them. To date over $8000 has been raised for this program.  If you’d like to make a donation to this fund, please click on the “donate” button near the top of this page. 

The "Patient as Teacher Fund" supports a program whereby surgical residents learn from patients about how to incorporate a patient-centred approach to the care they provide, and acknowledge patients as key partners throughout their healthcare journey. To date over $18,000 has been raised for this program.  If you’d like to make a donation to this fund, please click here:   https://give.supportsinai.ca/fundraiser/beverlyguttman/patient-as-teacher-fund---dr--s--brar 

 

Thank you for your support!  Every donation, no matter the size, makes a difference!!

 

My Achievements

50% of Fundraising Target

Self Donated

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Reached Fundraising Goal

Thank you to my supporters

$2.5k

Abby & Morry

$190.80

Janis Kowall

Happy Birthday tooo you!

$53

Sabine Ryder

What a gift this is for your birthday Bev!! Congratulations and much love!!!!!