Firefighters and burn unit staff share special bond.
Toronto Professional Fire Fighters' Association president Ed Kennedy, left, presents Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre's Ross Tilley Burn Centre medical director Dr. Marc Jeschke with a $10,000 cheque and a Versajet high-pressure salt water jet system used to treat burn victims.
Photo/DOUG NICHOLSON
It's not surprising that the Toronto firefighters who pull victims from burning structures and the health care workers who treat those patients at the Ross Tilley Burn Centre of Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre have a special relationship.
That bond was on display Tuesday, Dec. 20 when dozens of hospital workers gathered in front of the centre to welcome members of the Toronto Professional Fire Fighters' Association who were handing over a holiday gift.
The firefighters presented a cheque for $10,000, bringing the total they have donated to the centre to more than $600,000 over the past several years.
In addition, the firefighters donated surgical knives and a Versajet used to treat burn patients.
The machine is a high-pressure salt water jet system that cleans wounds and removes burned skin layer by layer until healthier skin below is exposed, said Dr, Marc Jeschke, medical director of the centre.
The tissue-preserving technique reduces the healing time of wounds, results in less scarring and can also reduce overall treatment costs.
"It allows us to do essential surgery to take care of burn wounds. It is a very modern tool," said Jeschke, adding he is thrilled with the firefighters' ongoing donations to the centre.
"It is very rewarding. The firefighters are an essential component for us. If they don't get the patients out (of a fire) early, what we do would be worthless, it would be in vain. We're very appreciative for (the donations) but also for their knowledge and commitment."
The Ross Tilley Burn Centre is a state-of-the-art facility providing specialized care for most burn patients in Ontario.
The largest burn centre in Canada, it is the only facility in Ontario that provides a wide range of services, from admission to follow-up and reconstructive surgery.
It is the only Canadian burn program verified by the American Burn Association.
Ed Kennedy, president of the association, said the firefighters are proud of the relationship they have with the centre.
"This burn injury (centre) is closely related to part of our business. It is a close relationship," he said.
Firefighters also contribute to other charitable causes, Kennedy said.
For example, they paid to wear pink T-shirts every Wednesday in October, raising $3,000 for Sunnybrook's breast cancer program.