Max Pacioretty Visits the Montreal General Hospital
Max Pacioretty, number 67 and Captain of our beloved Montreal Canadiens, paid a visit to the Montreal General Hospital to inaugurate the construction site that will host the new High Performance Magnetic Resonance Imagine Machine (MRI) for the Traumatic Brain Injury Centre. The purchase of this new cutting edge equipment has been in part supported by the Max Pacioretty Foundation and it will be in operation as of July, 2018.
Avid Habs fan will recall a hockey game back in March 2011 when Max Pacioretty suffered a severe concussion and broken vertebra during a match against the Boston Bruins. During this game, Pacioretty tried to avoid a check from Zdeno Chara, but Chara’s elbow pushed Pacioretty’s head into the stanchion. He instantly went down like a stone. ‘‘He was transported to the Montreal General Hospital where the Trauma Centre treated him efficiently,” said Dr. David Mulder, Chief Surgeon of the Montreal Canadiens, after whom the Montreal General Hospital Level 1 Trauma Centre has since been named.
‘‘I received great care at the Montreal General Hospital and since I have fully recovered, I want to do my share and give back,” said Pacioretty. His way of giving back was to create the Max Pacioretty Foundation to help the Montreal General Hospital Foundation (MGHF) raise the funds needed towards acquiring a new state-of-the-art MRI machine for the MGH Traumatic Brain Injury Centre, a world leader in research and treatment of concussions. Max Pacioretty is a hands-on partner and sends his personal thanks to all supporters of his Foundation. “The fact that this new MRI unit has several applications, not only for athletes and patients of all ages, but also for research, is really important” added Pacioretty.
“The new MRI will be one-of-a-kind in several aspects. First, it will be immediately adjacent to one of the most important trauma centres in the country. Second, we will be adding new equipment to drastically boost sensitivity and resolution. This means we will be able to pursue new avenues of research on immediate effects of concussions, and to look at these effects with greater precision”, explained Dr. Reza Farivar, Lead Researcher for the Traumatic Brain Injury Program.
“This equipment will revolutionize our understanding of how the brain functions and recovers,” also said Dr. Mulder.
“The Montreal General Hospital Foundation wishes to thank the Max Pacioretty Foundation and the organizing committee of the annual Max Pacioretty golf tournament, the R. Howard Webster Foundation, as well as the provincial and federal governments in making this investment in cutting-edge equipment possible.” said Jean-Guy Gourdeau, President & CEO of Code Life: The Montreal General Hospital Foundation.
The presence of Max Pacioretty at the Hospital coincided with a special event organized by the MGHF to thank all the employees of the MGH for their hard work and to launch our new branding: CODE LiFE (CODE ViE). This new brand aims to build greater awareness of our cause and attract new donors to help ensure sustainable financial support for our mission to provide vital support for vital care.
About CODE LiFE: the Montreal General Hospital Foundation
The Montreal General Hospital Foundation’s mission is to provide vital support for vital care. The Foundation is mandated to raise money, manage significant funds, and invest responsibly in healthcare research, training and technology at the Montreal General Hospital (MGH), the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) and more broadly, within the McGill academic health network. We work in close partnership with donors and dedicated collaborators to raise awareness and foster excellence in vital care to all patients, present and future.
CODE LiFE is our pledge to protect, heal, extend, and save life by means of leading-edge medical care and research. In the history of every organization, there is change and there is continuity. We may have a new brand and a new look, but what endures is our pivotal role in fostering advances in medical knowledge and ensuring the quality of patient care.
About the Max Pacioretty Foundation
In March 2011, Montreal Canadiens forward Max Pacioretty suffered a severe concussion and broken vertebrae during a hockey game – and was immediately taken to the MGH for treatment. Following his recovery in hospital, the young player established the Max Pacioretty Foundation to support the traumatic brain injury project and help purchase a state-of-the-art advanced High Performance MRI machine for the Hospital.
Pictures from the Code Life Employee Event at the Montreal General Hospital
