Every Thursday, we will be sharing stories from our Sinai Health community who have been instrumental in helping our Champions of Care respond to the COVID-19 crisis. Every donor who has supported the Sinai Health CEO Fund is providing critical support to the emerging needs of our front-line staff and hospitals.
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Q & A with Jennifer Temple, Carol Tse and Justin Chow from Académie Ste-Cécile International School Académie Ste-Cécile International School (ASCIS) is an English, private, co-educational catholic school located in Windsor, Ontario. ASCIS has both regular day students and boarders. When ASCIS student Carol Tse was able to obtain a shipment of surgical masks through her parents in Hong Kong, the ASCIS community generously donated 2,000 masks to Sinai Health.
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Q. What inspired you to support Sinai Health?
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Jennifer Temple, Head of the ASCIS Boarding School: "At the beginning of the pandemic period and after it was mandated to close all schools, Mr. and Mrs. Tse, Carol's parents (who live in Hong Kong), wrote to the ASCIS Heads of School. They were offering to send surgical masks for the well-being of our school community..
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Since ASCIS is community-minded, Carol and her classmates, Justin Chow and Leo Li (also natives of Hong Kong) decided to keep enough masks for the ASCIS students and to offer the remainder to two hospitals. Justin wrote to Mount Sinai Hospital, and 2,000 masks were couriered to Mount Sinai at the students' expense..
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Carol Tse, High School Student: "Yes, my mother sent me 4,000 surgical masks when we were initially quarantined. She said that we should donate at least half of that amount to help the community fight this virus. Once I got the shipment, I decided that since we won’t be heading outside or be in contact with people for the next few months, it would be wise to donate what we can to those that need the PPE the most: front-line medical workers. We then donated 1,000 masks to the Windsor Regional Hospital, 2,000 for Mount Sinai, and distributed the rest amongst everybody at the school.".
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Justin Chow, High School Student: "Each and every member of the ASCIS community is praying for the safety and well-being of Mount Sinai's courageous medical staff. We hope that our contribution makes a difference in the lives of Mount Sinai’s front-line workers in these extraordinary and fearful times."
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Q. What would you say to the front-line health care workers who are providing life-saving care?
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Justin Chow, High School Student: “Thank you. Thank you for being the unsung heroes of these dark and unprecedented times; braving dangers and sacrificing your time, energy, and (dare I say) sanity for our well-being on a daily basis. Your mask-scarred faces, the exhausting hours you have spent helping patients recover will not go to waste. And because of your relentless bravery, perseverance, and dedication to humanity, I truly believe that we will make it through this together. Once again, thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your sacrifices, and we wish you nothing but peace, health, and prosperity during this crisis.
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Q. Why should others support organizations like Sinai Health who are dealing with this health care crisis head-on?
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Justin Chow, High School Student: "It’s simple; without them, we wouldn’t be alive right now. Affected families and front-line medical personnel are counting on you to help, whether it be staying at home, or contributing what you can (PPE, funding, resources, etc.) to speed up this recovery process. Every little bit helps!"
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Q. What are you doing to remain positive and stay connected to people during these challenging times?
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Justin Chow, High School Student: "Everything from picking up old, forgotten hobbies to FaceTiming friends and family at 7 in the morning. It is easy to get stressed and anxious under these chaotic circumstances; that’s perfectly normal, let those emotions flow freely. But at the same time, we are incredibly resilient beings full of compassion and creativity, so channel those gifts into something positive in your own unique way!"