November 5, 2025

Michael Zenker Travelled to St. Joe’s ED for Care, and he Thinks That Decision Might Have Saved his Life

In early March 2025, Oakville resident and 59-yearold retired accountant, Michael Zenker, was feeling unwell. He was experiencing shortness of breath, severe fatigue and back pain. He chalked it up to a lung infection of some kind, but as his symptoms continued to worsen, he knew he should get checked out. Since Michael’s hematologist, Dr. Mark Crowther, was based at St. Joe’s, he opted to come to the Charlton Campus Emergency Department (ED) in Hamilton.

Michael lives with a blood condition called Immune Thrombocytopenia (ITP) and was initially assessed for a potential infection. But the ED team held off on a diagnosis in favour of doing their due diligence and running some thorough tests. In addition to bloodwork, a troponin test (for proteins in the heart) was performed and came back showing initial signs of a heart attack.

Still more testing unearthed that Michael was living with a complex underlying heart condition. Instead of receiving antibiotics and being on his way home, Michael found himself immediately admitted to the 4th Floor of the Mary Grace Wing, while specialized teams from Hematology, Medicine and Cardiology worked together to manage the complexity of his heart condition and its interaction with the blood-related disorder he’s been living with for years.

“When I arrived at the emergency department at St. Joe’s, the internal medicine doctors were extraordinary. The level of attention dedicated to my care is what I believe ultimately saved my life,” says Michael reflecting on the experience. “The Hematology team at St. Joe’s continues to be at the centre of my on-going care. I wouldn’t want my health addressed anywhere else.”

Dr. Mark Crowther says, “Although ITP is traditionally associated with bleeding complications, the treatments we use for this disease can put ITP patients at a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease. The truly multidisciplinary care Mr. Zenker received is one of the hallmarks of our Hospital. It’s vitally important for the careful and compassionate management of his, and all of our patients’ health conditions.”

During Michael’s recent care journey at St. Joe’s, he expressed sincere thanks for the superb care he received from Dr. Crowther as well as internal medicine and hematology physicians Dr. Robert Wither, Dr. Meha Bhatt, Dr. John Neary, and Dr. Barbara Gunka. He also made special mention of the nurses and food services staff on the fourth Floor of the Hospital’s Mary Grace Wing who were so supportive and accommodating during his stay.

In gratitude, Michael has made a donation of $12,500 to support the Hematology and Internal Medicine programs at St. Joe’s, providing them with funding for the greatest needs of their respective departments.

“The staff and level of expertise and care at St. Joe’s is phenomenal. I think it’s important to maintain and enhance that level of care by financially contributing to our healthcare system, not only for people of my age and older who need it, but for the next generation to come.”

Hematology and Internal Medicine at St. Joe’s

St. Joe’s cares for people living with blood disorders and blood clots through the Hematology and Thromboembolism Follow-up Clinic and the Hematology lab within the Hamilton Regional Laboratory Medicine Program. The Internal Medicine team is one of the largest services at the Hospital offering consultations and support in Emergency Medicine, the Intensive Care Unit, General Internal Medicine, and Family Medicine.