The London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) in London, Ont., received a special thank you from Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds in a video message dedicated to its staff and health-care workers.
Reynolds showed his appreciation for those working on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic.
“You’re making people better,” said the Deadpool actor.
“I love you guys. Please stay safe, and thank you from the bottom of my heart (for) all you’re doing.”
The video was created by three health-care workers at the LHSC: Dr. Waseem El-Halabi, Dr. Joe Gabriel and Dr. Brad Rostas.
El-Halabi, an emergency physician, told 980 CFPL Friday the inspiration for the video sparked when he was approached by the centre’s wellness committee, “who asked if we could put something together that would be fun and uplifting, and would be nice for all of our employees to see.”
El-Halabi said his favourite part of the video “is everyone’s favourite part: it’s got to be Ryan Reynolds,” he chuckled.
“You see somebody like that on TV and in movies all the time, and they don’t seem real, but to have him be so nice, responsive and so open and willing to help with no questions asked was really refreshing.”
Gabriel, an attending emergency medicine physician at the LHSC, couldn’t agree more.
“The part with Ryan Reynolds is really a treat, and we’re really lucky and happy that he wanted to participate.”
The two physicians explained they got in contact with the famous actor through another physician at the LHSC, Dr. Wanda Millard.
“One of our physicians is one of the team physicians for the Canadian national women’s hockey team, and she’s closely in touch with Hayley Wickenheiser, who is currently a medical student,” said El-Halabi.
“When (the pandemic) began, there was a large PPE (personal protective equipment) drive across Canada, and Hayley Wickenheiser would’ve been heavily involved with that, as was Ryan Reynolds, and that’s how the connection was made.”
The 11-and-a-half-minute video ends with a rap parody of Tyga and Curtis Roach’s song Bored In The House.
Gabriel says it took a few days to re-write the lyrics and a few hours to record, and the video took two to three days to film.
“The music video at the end (really shows) everybody in the emergency department from all different positions and members of the team getting together,” said Gabriel.
“It was a lot of fun.”
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