Dr. Hayley Wickenheiser visits Sarnia

In a few years, when her daughter is old enough, Brooke Clements says she’ll give the youngster a photo Dr. Hayley Wickenheiser signed for her.

“She will be able to hang this and know what it means to have a woman achieve what (Wickenheiser) has,” said the administrative assistant at Bluewater Health at the May 18 event.

The world and Olympic champion hockey player, Order of Canada and Hockey Hall of Fame member — as well medical doctor and Toronto Maple Leafs assistant manager of player development — met with Bluewater Health personnel at Sarnia’s hospital, ahead of being the keynote speaker at this year’s Bluewater Health Foundation gala.

“I grew up playing women’s competitive hockey all my life, so she’s an icon for us,” said Hayley Burnie, another administrative assistant who stood in line to meet Wickenheiser.

“Nice to meet someone who I’ve always looked up to,” she said.

“And I think it’s really cool that she is now a doctor as well.”

Wickenheiser said she enjoyed visiting a smaller community, meeting and playing hockey with local girls at Progressive Auto Sales Arena, and chatting with parents.

“It’s what I really enjoy because it’s where I came from,” said the Shaunavon, Sask. native.

“And then being here at the hospital to meet a lot of the folks that work here in the different departments, and just how hard they work, and listening to their story and how much service they’ve given over the years,” she said .

Plans were, at the sold-out gala at the Sarnia Chris Hadfield Airport, to talk about service and how health care has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, Wickenheiser said, adding she agreed to speak at the fundraiser because of the importance of local health care in communities like Sarnia.

“I think what I’ve seen in the pandemic and the last few years inside health care is people that have really gone above and beyond,” she said.

“So, just to really thank those that work here, but also for the community at large, to celebrate what a great place it is.”

Both medicine and hockey involve teamwork, quick decisions and working under pressure, she said, noting there’s also some crossover, including every once in a while she’ll have to stitch up a player hit by a puck.

Sometimes they don’t realize she’s had any medical training, she said, with a laugh.

“It’s an interesting time.”

Hopes are the gala raises $80,000 toward a $3.7-million renovation of the cancer care center at Sarnia’s hospital, said foundation executive director Kathy Alexander.

The foundation is funding the project entirely, raising funds during the next three years or so, she said, noting it’ll include new equipment, bringing together different disciplines such as pharmacy and cancer care to make it easier on patients, and overall enhancing the space amid a growing number of oncology patients in Sarnia, she said.

“Really just making the modalities a bit more cohesive and the environment really much more therapeutic and soothing and welcoming for people,” she said, noting there will still be cases where people have to travel outside of the community.

“But, we’ll be able to serve more and more patients locally and close to home,” she said.

This year’s gala was the fastest sellout to date, she said.

Wickenheiser is “remarkable and we’re thrilled,” she said.

“We know her message is going to resonate with everybody.”

Gala sponsor NGL Supply also sponsored Wickenheiser meeting with youth, she said.

“Some of the girls brought letters they had written to Hayley. They brought artwork they had drawn. One girl painted a picture of Hayley,” Alexander said. “It was beautiful.”

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