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Cheryl is all heart

GHC's Cheryl Aubin's specialized knowledge in fetal ultrasound exams can save many women a trip to Toronto
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The Group Health Centre's Cheryl Aubin is the only registered fetal echocardiography technician in northern Ontario. Darren Taylor/SooToday

For most pregnant women, all is well with mother and child when they receive their 20-week ultrasound.

Sometimes, however, a baby’s heart may not be so easy to find and scan.

There may be nothing to worry about, but just in case, the Group Health Centre’s Cheryl Aubin will perform a fetal echocardiogram.

Mother and child will certainly be in good hands.

Aubin performs all general ultrasound procedures for males and females, but has specialized in fetal and pediatric echocardiograms since 2000, working with Dr. Kirk Zufelt, GHC pediatric cardiologist.

Specifically, Aubin is the only registered fetal echocardiography technician in northern Ontario, specializing in analyzing images of the unborn.

“That’s my baby,” Aubin told SooToday, no pun intended.

Not only do Sault mothers flock to Aubin, but she also receives visits from Moms from other northern communities. 

A fetal echocardiogram procedure lasts for approximately one hour.

“We’re looking at the heart of an unborn baby, which at 20 weeks is the size of a pea…we’re looking at all the chambers, the valves, the blood vessels that go in and out of the heart, making sure the heart’s in the correct position in the body,” Aubin described.

“The Mom and Dad are anxious and it’s very stressful, but I know in the end we’re going to get an answer for them and they won’t have to go to Toronto for the test.”

Working alongside Zufelt, Aubin has performed fetal ultrasounds on some of her patients since they were in the womb, then followed up with pediatric ultrasounds until they’ve reached 18, at which time they were transferred to adult ultrasound and the care of adult cardiologists.

“I’ve followed some of them for their whole lifespan,” Aubin said.

“Every person that comes in here, I think of them as a family member.”

“It’s very serious business, when I’m in the exam room I’m focused.”

“I say my silent little prayer before every patient, like ‘please God, if there’s something wrong let me find it,’ so we can relieve their issue, their pain.”

GHC literature states in the last 16 years, Aubin and the GHC team have not missed a single case of Fetal Congenital Heart Disease.

Nine times out of 10, fetal scans show all is well.

What about that one time out of 10?

“It’s a very emotional time…we get the ball rolling very quickly (to address the problem, including referrals to Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children),” Aubin said.

Aubin has worked in healthcare for 25 years, specializing in fetal and pediatric echocardiography since 2000.

Previously, she performed general ultrasounds at GHC and diagnostic tests at Sault Area Hospital (SAH).

She said she has seen “thousands” of hearts, from those of unborn babies to that of a 102-year-old.

A Sault native, she received her training in Toronto and at Hamilton’s Mohawk College.

Aubin worked at Sudbury’s Memorial Hospital before returning to her hometown to live and work.

The fetal and pediatric echocardiography program at GHC grew from one small, eight by eight room to a larger space with four technicians. 

Aubin receives frequent updates on new technology and techniques through viewing webcasts, on her own time, from Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children.

“It’s a privilege, I’m honoured to work with Dr. Zufelt…the Group Health Centre has given me the opportunity to do something like this, I wouldn’t have had this opportunity if I had been anywhere else.”

“It’s very fulfilling and rewarding, people tell me ‘we can tell you love your job.’”

“I hate pain, I want people to be happy and healthy and I want to find an answer for them,” Aubin said.

The Group Health Centre Trust Fund is currently running its Big Hearts for Little Hearts fundraising campaign, to purchase new specialized equipment necessary for fetal and pediatric echocardiograms.

$150,000 needs to be raised, GHC officials told SooToday.

Anyone interested in making a donation can click here 


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Darren Taylor

About the Author: Darren Taylor

Darren Taylor is a news reporter and photographer in Sault Ste Marie. He regularly covers community events, political announcements and numerous board meetings. With a background in broadcast journalism, Darren has worked in the media since 1996.
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