Marina Zajakovski

Every time I step into the operating room, I know I’m exactly where I’m meant to be. The OR is my place—fast-paced, intense, and life-changing. As a Registered Nurse and Charge Nurse at SHN, I spend my evenings leading urgent cases, finishing the day’s surgeries, and helping patients get the second chance they deserve. From fractures to breast cancer surgeries to organ donations, no two days are ever the same, but every case is about saving or transforming a life.

What moves me most is working on organ and tissue donation. Over the years, I’ve assisted in about 70 per cent of life-saving donation recovery procedures at Centenary Hospital. Each time, we prepare the OR with the utmost respect for the donor, knowing that one person’s choice to donate can save up to eight lives. It’s bittersweet—sad but also profoundly rewarding when I hear how much the recipients’ lives have changed.

One of the proudest moments of my career was being recognized by Ontario Health's Trillium Gift of Life program for my vital work in organ retrieval. I also received the 2024 Provincial Donation Champion Award. Being nominated by the very coordinators I work alongside was humbling and such an honour. Receiving that recognition made me proud not just of myself, but of my team and of SHN. It reminded me why I do this work, and why I’ll always keep fighting for better care for our patients.

I was born in a small town in Macedonia called Shtip, and when I came to Canada in the late 1990s, everything felt so big and new—the diversity, the languages, the people. Learning English, adapting to a new culture, and finding my place here was my own uphill climb. But when I came to work at SHN, the support I felt was incredible. My colleagues welcomed me, taught me, and soon became like family. The nurse who trained me, Patricia, has become like a second sister to me. I also want to express my deep gratitude to my manager, Rhodora Gutierrez, for her ongoing encouragement and support—it has made all the difference in my journey here.

Scarborough is where I built my life, my career, and my second family. While we already provide excellent care, I know that with new operating rooms, modern equipment, and the resources we need, we could do so much more. That’s why I believe it’s so important to support and donate to Scarborough hospitals. Every donation helps us deliver more second chances, more moments of healing, and more gifts of life to the patients who need them most.