Hamilton ICU nurse pledges to take 333 dips into Lake Ontario to raise funds for the hospital’s three wishes project

Those freezing temperatures aren’t deterring one Hamilton ICU nurse from not only going outside but underwater! It’s all for a great cause. Yulia Shevchenko is an ICU nurse at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton. She, along with every nurse, takes part in the ‘3 wishes’ program which gives people entering their final days, even hours of their life 3 requests.

The past 2 pandemic years made any wish involving a personal touch impossible. Yulia says, “the families were not there. They couldn’t come in. It was either talking on a baby monitor through the glass door saying goodbye or on the Zoom meeting or just they couldn’t come because they might have COVID themselves and that was devastating. I was devastated.”

Last February, Yulia found herself the lowest she’s ever felt. After a couple of minutes under the water in the middle of winter, Yulia found something extraordinary in those cold depths. “It gives your body a little bit of physical stress every time you have a little stress and it helps you manage the stress overall I guess. Plus here with nature you’re doing things that challenge you and you overcome yourself your fears gives you self-respect it motivates you.”

Since that moment, Yulia has vowed to wade in the frigid water 333 times this year to raise money for the three wishes program. She’s documented each dip on her Instagram, convincing friends and family to take the plunge. Helping others find closure as she finds peace.

You can donate to Yulia’s cause via this link.