Ray Mond ‘Mondo,’ a retired Dofasco worker of 45 years, describes himself as “pretty laid back” and “happy go lucky” – a man who loves road trips with his wife Jackie, long stretches of Cuban sun, and any excuse to channel his inner Elvis. When a backyard barbecue accident in June 2024 left him with third-degree burns to 30 percent of his body, that positive outlook helped to carry him through.
Mondo drove himself the ten blocks to Hamilton General Hospital (HGH). Within two minutes, staff had him in triage. Within twenty minutes, anesthesia has him pain-free and joking with his doctor. He had no idea yet how serious his injuries were. As they wheeled him toward the burn unit, he called back to the team: “You guys are great. When I get out of here we’re gonna have to have you over for a barbecue.” He woke up ten days later.
HGH is home to one of only two burn centres in Ontario, drawing patients from across the region who need highly specialized care. For Mondo, that meant two surgeries, skin grafts, nine days on a ventilator, and six weeks in hospital, followed by multiple follow-up visits, and months of careful rehabilitation. The care he received reflected the depth of expertise and coordination that exemplifies the burn unit’s work.
Jackie watched all of it. She remembers Dr. Barkho, the fellow on the team, with particular warmth: “He told me and let me know what was happening. He was just wonderful. I was so blessed to have him there when Mondo was there.” The nursing staff looked after her too, checking in on her support system and making sure she wasn’t navigating things alone.
Recovery moved in small, steady steps. Mondo worked his way down the long second-floor hallway, first partway, then the full length. Before discharge, two nurses walked him to the staircase behind the elevators and made him climb it three times. He joined a gym. He weaned himself off pain medication. He plans to vacation in Cuba.
On the one-year anniversary of leaving the hospital, Mondo brought two pizzas and two boxes of donuts to the burn unit. “You saved my life,” he told them. “Thank you very much.”
The level of care Mondo received depends on HGH having the right resources, equipment and expertise ready for every emergency. Donors make that possible. It is their investments that make HGH’s burn unit a place of genuine excellence. For the next patient – whether they live ten blocks or hundreds of kilometres away – donor support will make that excellence possible too.
