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“Throughout my journey, I have been committed to gaining people’s trust and supporting them. I feel obliged to be a positive member of society,” says Mustafa. A dentist by trade, Mustafa immigrated to Canada from the Middle East in 2008. After several unsuccessful attempts to get accredited for dentistry in Canada, Mustafa pivoted.
Keen to help people and continue working in health care, he completed the bridging program for internationally educated professionals and became a certified translator and interpreter, with a special certification in medical terminology. After several years working at a variety of organizations, including the Catholic Immigration Centre, Mustafa found his forever home at CHEO.
Since 2018, Mustafa has helped newcomer families navigate the health-care system, orient themselves to CHEO and get the right treatment and supports to meet their needs. He has stood by them in the saddest and happiest of times. Throughout his years at CHEO, he has seen a ten-day old baby thrive and grow into a happy, healthy seven-year-old; a young refugee receive a life-saving surgery immediately upon arrival; and a child get transferred to Saint-Justine Hospital in Montreal for a life-changing bone marrow transplant.
“These are children who, if they had stayed in their home country, would likely have died from lack of treatment,” shares Mustafa. “But at CHEO, children with complex medical conditions do not go untreated. They receive the care they need so they can live their best life.”
Proud of the work he does, Mustafa is guided by his late father’s advice, “Support people with good words and good deeds. That’s what you leave behind when you’re gone.” His dedication to patients and families did not go unnoticed. Mustafa became a permanent member of CHEO’s staff in 2023 and has worked in every clinic across CHEO, as well as the Medical Day Unit and the Emergency Room.
Today, Mustafa is grateful to share his story and inspire others with his journey. “I’m an immigrant,” says Mustafa, “I am proud to be a part of this country and representing my culture and my community as a supportive and positive person.”
CHEO is filled with kind and thoughtful people like Mustafa. Join us.