In 2012, Patricia Nord underwent major emergency spine surgery to prevent paralysis. She fondly remembers Dr. Michael Goytan whose expertise gave her a new lease on life and freedom from numbness, pain, and fear.
Pat knows that providing positive health care experiences is a team effort focused on the patient as a whole person. She knows this because she benefitted from an outstanding team at Health Sciences Centre in 2012. She also knows this because she herself was a nurse for 20 years.
Pat’s post-operative care was indeed a team effort. Everyone she encountered in her two-and-a-half-week stay was kind and compassionate. It is amazing how the little things were so important, like the time Lucy, a caring health care aide, washed Pat’s back and changed her bedding as soon as she was able to stand after surgery. And there was the time when a nurse named Hilda, who, upon learning that Pat’s daughter was coming to the hospital to wash her mom’s hair, insisted on doing it herself so mom and daughter could focus on having a good visit.
In 1969, Pat, the daughter of the late Mary and Gordon Harley, graduated from nursing school at Winnipeg General Hospital, which later became part of HSC. Weeks after graduation, she married her high school sweetheart Dennis Nord, and began working as an orthopedic nurse. She stepped away from full-time nursing to raise her children—Christie, Lana, and Dan—eventually returning to part-time orthopedic and emergency department nursing at St. Boniface Hospital. She also worked in the emergency department at Victoria Hospital and with stroke and heart patients returning to physical activity at the Reh-Fit Centre.
Pat believes that the cumulative effects of being an orthopedic nurse contributed to her neck and back issues that started in 2011. A lifetime of high-performance athletics could have also been a factor. She was a successful high school athlete at Vincent Massey Collegiate and was ultimately named to the Manitoba Volleyball Hall of Fame. She was also very involved with caring for her dad before he passed in 2006. And in 2010, she moved in with her mom to care for her as she battled cancer: “My mom and dad were kind, wonderful parents so caring for them only came naturally,” says Pat.
In the fall of 2011, Pat started feeling severe neck pain and some numbness in her left arm. She ignored it at first, figuring the symptoms would pass and that she could manage the pain. However, the pain only got worse and the numbness spread to her left hand, right arm, and her feet. When she could no longer hold a pen or a bag, she knew she needed to act.
A January 2012 MRI showed severe compression of her spinal cord. As a former orthopedic nurse, she knew what might lie ahead and was understandably frightened. On the advice of a doctor, she went directly to the HSC Adult Emergency Department with MRI results in hand.
“Dr. Goytan was working that night and saw me quickly,” she recalls. “I told him I wanted to avoid surgery and he said there really was no other option. I signed the consent. I felt confident and afraid at the same time.”
After a couple of days of pain management and more testing, Pat underwent an eight-hour spine procedure. The first incision was made across the front of her throat and then she was turned over for the rest of the complex operation. She is encouraged to see how donor-funded technology is advancing spine surgery for patients today.
During her hospital stay, Pat gradually regained movement and strength, but a long road lay ahead. She started physiotherapy in March and was able to drive again in May. She experienced continuous discomfort and numbness for a year, something that Dr. Goytan had predicted.
In June, she returned to the unit where she was treated, bringing pizzas for the staff. “I wanted to show them my gratitude,” Pat says. “Also, I know from my own experience that nurses don’t always see their patients that far down the road to recovery. I wanted them to see me and understand the impact they had.”
She also expressed her gratitude in the months following her surgery by establishing the Patricia Nord Complex Spinal Surgery Fund at the HSC Foundation, hoping to inspire others to contribute to the Foundation. In more recent years, she has committed to leaving a bequest to the HSC Foundation, thereby becoming a member of the Foundation’s Bannatyne Legacy Circle.
“Government funds health care, but to have the extras, to have the latest technology as soon as possible, that requires community support,” she says.
Today, Pat is working as a financial advisor with her son Dan at their firm, Madison Financial. It’s a career she launched over 35 years ago after working with Great-West Life as a rehabilitation consultant, helping people get back to work after injury and illness. As a nurse and as a rehabilitation consultant, she helped people with their physical, mental, and emotional well-being; as an advisor, she helps her clients achieve financial well-being.
In 2023, Pat lost her husband after 54 years of devoted partnership. Today, she finds renewed connection through her work, walking, biking, and embracing new pursuits such as golf. Above all, she loves her family, experiences great joy in time spent together, and takes pride in their growth and accomplishments.
Patricia Nord’s life has been one of setback and triumph, and one of loss and gratitude. She is making her mark through her relationships, her hard work, and her generosity. Through her legacy gift, she is helping ensure others receive the same life-changing care she did.
