Help us end the COVID-19 pandemic and keep our frontline workers safe.
I would like this campaign to be one made up of micro-donations of $25.00. We are facing this pandemic together, we can raise this money together and keep our hearts together during this unprecedented time in world history. As such, I have made the first $25.00 donation towards this goal – and I ask each and every one of you to do the same.
If you would like to say thank you too, or are looking for a way to help, please consider making a donation of $25.00. The UHN Emergency COVID-19 Fund was established to support the most urgent needs of Toronto General and Toronto Western hospitals during this pandemic. 100% of the proceeds raised through this campaign go directly to the UHN Emergency COVID-19 Fund.
My focus is on two areas:
- Raising money for research to find a cure for COVID-19. Research saved my mom’s life and the lives of countless others around the world. It is extremely important in our fight against the current pandemic and with every breakthrough we will be closer to winning this battle. It is critical for us to focus on research now, before and during the burden of the pandemic – for the health of our patients and for our healthcare system.
- Support the healthcare teams (like my brother and countless others) on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic who are putting their lives at risk everyday to save countless people.
My name is Sabrina Fiorellino. I prefer to be private rather than public unless necessary but this is a moment I feel I need to tell my story and pay it forward.
My family, like many others, has experienced significant hardships related to health and almost every member of my family suffers from one type of autoimmune disease or another and have compromised immunity. My grandmother is currently on various types of heart failure medication and suffers extremely from rheumatoid arthritis. My grandfather, unfortunately passed away during the first wave of COVID and our family was unable to visit him. He suffered from sjogren’s syndrome, which affected his eyes, his lungs and his heart and was on a significant number of immunosuppressant drugs to keep his immune system from attacking itself. Despite his condition, he was always happy (except when his steroid doses are very high and then he’s uncharacteristically cranky) and was also an amazing storyteller.
My brother is currently an anesthesiologist at Toronto General Hospital. His wife is a nurse (currently on maternity leave) and together they have a five-month old baby at home. My brother is a front line worker – he is one of the people inserting tubes in people’s tracheas, which I understand is a very infections stage and puts many front line workers at significant risk.
My mother – died – and Toronto General hospital brought her back to life. Research was partially responsible for saving her life. Most people who know my mom’s story say she’s a walking miracle. She had stage sarcoidosis which is an inflammatory disease that affects multiple organs in the body, but mostly the lungs. In my mom’s case both her heart and lungs were affected and she spent years on oxygen deteriorating more an more and more until she went into respiratory arrest, was put on ECMO and received a double lung transplant. It’s been over two years since her transplant at Toronto General Hospital and while she is recovering very well and no longer needs oxygen she is on a significant number of immunosuppressant drugs to ensure her body does not reject her new organ.
As for myself, I suffer from ulcerative colitis among other things but am currently very healthy thanks to Toronto General and Toronto Western Hospitals.
As a result of every member of my family being touched by our healthcare system in a significant way, I’m particularly sensitive to what is happening around the world right now and feel and obligation to help – to pay it forward.