With 24 years of dedicated service at Joseph Brant Hospital (JBH), Veronica brings compassion and expertise to her role supporting patients and families through some of life's most challenging moments. As an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) social worker, she plays a crucial role in the organ donation process, providing emotional support, counselling, and resources to both potential donors and their loved ones.
"JBH is where my heart is," Veronica shares, reflecting on her deep connection to the hospital where she was born and began her career.
In the ICU, Veronica collaborates with the medical team to provide comprehensive care to patients and families at various stages of the donation process. Her work spans from supporting those awaiting life-saving transplants to helping families honour their loved ones' wishes at end-of-life.
"I work closely with the Trillium Gift of Life Coordinator to ensure families feel supported and time spent with their loved one is as meaningful as possible," she explains. This includes providing grief counselling, fulfilling special requests, and helping families navigate next steps after their loved one passes.
Despite witnessing profound heartbreak, Veronica finds meaning in helping families honour donation wishes: "For some families in the midst of tremendous pain, they experience strength and comfort in honouring their loved one's wishes to be a donor; donation is an ultimate act of compassion, kindness, and selflessness towards others."
Central to Veronica's success is her colleagues. "I highly value our ICU team and their support for my role," she says with deep appreciation. "I truly could not do the job I do without them, and they definitely deserve a huge shout out! My team and Theresa, our Manager, help me in all aspects of my role and do so much for fulfilling special requests and providing support to patients and families."
BeADonor Month raises critical awareness about the urgent need for organ and tissue donors. In Ontario alone, approximately 1,400 people are waiting for organ transplants, with one person dying every three days while waiting.
"This could be people we care about and love, our neighbours, people in our community, or even us," Veronica emphasizes.
Beyond spreading awareness, BeADonor Month serves as a call to action. It provides up-to-date information on how to register as a donor through beadonor.ca and encourages essential conversations about end-of-life wishes.
For those contemplating becoming a donor, Veronica offers heartfelt appreciation: "Thank you for taking the time to give this such important consideration."
Veronica emphasizes the importance of communicating donation wishes to loved ones: "Being able to share your wishes with your family now can help them have greater clarity knowing they are truly honouring your wishes in the future."
Working in the ICU presents unique challenges. Veronica acknowledges the difficulty of leaving at the end of her shift knowing there's still such great need for support. She also faces the challenge of sometimes meeting families for the first time during their most vulnerable moments.
Despite these difficulties, she finds strength in the wisdom and resilience of patients and families. "It is truly a privilege to get to know patients and their loved ones and to learn about their life and what is meaningful to them," she reflects.
Through BeADonor Month and her daily work, Veronica continues to make a profound difference in countless lives, embodying the compassion and dedication that make organ donation possible.