Kidney Stone and Prostate Patients to Benefit from Algoma District Masons Donation
Published Wednesday, September 20, 2023
Kidney Stone and Prostate Patients to Benefit from Algoma District Masons Donation
Three men came to present a $10,500 donation on behalf of the Algoma District Masons – and all three are patients of either Urologist Dr. Hazem Elmansy or Dr. Walid Shahrour.
Bill Boote, Deputy District Grand Master, chose the Urology Fund at the Health Sciences Foundation as his District’s charity for 2022. “The choice was easy,” he says, “because almost every man suffers from prostate issues in their lifetime - around 80 percent!”
Bill, together with Ed Carr, District Chair for Charity and John Watson, District Secretary, all had patient experiences that, they say, rate the Thunder Bay Urologists as “top notch”.
John Watson was in pain and was having trouble urinating just as he was getting ready to attend a Mason’s conference out of town. He was given a catheter to hold him for the few days he was away. When he returned, Watson was scheduled for emergency laser surgery.
The procedure was done using the holmium laser enucleation of prostate (HoLEP) unit, which treats enlarged prostates due to BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia). Often, prostate enlargement can get to the point where it squeezes the urethra shut, creating a urinary tract blockage. The HoLEP treatment reduces enlargement, reversing the blockage and allowing the patient to get on with their lives normally. Thunder Bay and Montreal are the only two centres in Canada with the HoLEP technology.
“The care I got – I don’t think you could get any better,” Watson says. “It wasn’t just one doctor; it was the whole team. The difference the laser treatment made in my life today is just unreal.”
Fundraising is currently underway for Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre to be the first in Canada to upgrade to MOSES 2.0 technology for kidney stone removal and treatments for enlarged prostates. “Having the newest technology in Thunder Bay allows us to keep advancing and to set the bar high for the quality of care we provide, and set a standard that other centres aim for,” says Dr. Elmansy.
The Algoma District Masons raised funds through donations from the eight lodges in this district (five in Thunder Bay and one in Red Rock, Terrace Bay and Hornepayne), Scottish Rite and the Lakehead Shrine Club – along with personal donations from members. All of the funds are collected by the Masonic Foundation of Ontario, which added another 25% to their donations, bringing the District’s total donation to $10,500.
The Algoma District Masons chose the Health Sciences Foundation’s (HSF) Urology Fund as its charity for 2022. The funds will help the Health Sciences Centre be the first hospital in Canada to upgrade to MOSES 2.0 technology for state-of-the-art kidney stone removal and treatments for enlarged prostates. Pictured l-r are: Glenn Craig, HSF President and CEO; Ed Carr, Algoma District Masons Chair for Charity; Urologist Dr. Hazem Elmansy; Urologist Dr. Walid Shahrour; John Watson, Algoma District Masons Secretary; Bill Boote, Algoma District Masons Deputy Grand Master; Terri Hrkac, HSF Senior Director of Philanthropy.