Our Team: Jody Clark
Jody Clark graduated from Georgian College in Orangeville, Ontario in 2016 and began her nursing career with St. Elizabeth Health in community nursing. In 2017, she moved to Pasadena, Newfoundland with her fiancé, where she worked in mental health community care for three years, a role well-suited to her young family at the time.
After a layoff and the onset of COVID-19, she transitioned to long-term care with Western Health. While the experience was valuable, she found she preferred working in smaller organizations. In 2020, she joined Apex as an Operating Room nurse, securing the role despite having no prior OR experience through persistence and determination.
Today, she serves as the main scrub nurse, trains new team members, assists in pre- and post-operative care, and supports administrative tasks, including finances. Whether scrubbing in, circulating, or stepping into other roles, she brings versatility, skill, and dedication to every aspect of her work.
Outside of work, Jody is a proud mother to her daughter, Cora, who turns 16 this September. She spent Cora’s first two years as a single mom before meeting her partner, Patrick, with whom she has shared 14 wonderful years. An animal lover, she raised her beloved pup Bentley alongside Cora and now enjoys life with Theo, the family’s Boykin Spaniel, as well as two white tree frogs. She has a passion for gardening, despite Newfoundland’s short summers, and loves spending time outdoors fishing, camping, hiking, and exploring with her family.
She’s always ready for a road trip and looks forward to traveling more in the future. A self-proclaimed Halloween enthusiast, she devotes hours to decorating, even if their long driveway means few visitors. Most importantly, she cherishes every moment of “Cora time,” knowing how quickly the years pass.
When Jody joined her first Laurel Surgical Foundation mission to Mongolia in October 2023, she arrived with an open mind and a willingness to help wherever she was needed. The preparation, packing and organizing alongside Christine, was an adventure in itself, but seeing everything come together upon arrival was deeply rewarding.
The hospital was unlike anything she had seen in Canada. Patient beds lined the walls, with more in the center of the room, and families brought cups from home for meals. Even so, the warmth and gratitude of the patients made a lasting impression. One unforgettable moment was watching a cataract patient walk out of the operating room seeing clearly for the first time in years. “The love and appreciation from the patients was incredible,” she recalls. “It made me want to return every time I’m asked.”
She also cherished watching Dr. French patiently teach ophthalmology residents, taking every opportunity to absorb knowledge herself to become a better scrub nurse. Outside the hospital, she experienced Mongolia’s culture firsthand—visiting a yurt in the desert, milking goats, and spotting herds of camels after an unexpected tire change.
Her second trip in April 2025 brought familiarity and smoother coordination. With Christine’s help, she once again packed and built an operating room—this time in just three hockey bags. The hospital was better equipped than the previous one, but the challenges of the healthcare system were evident.
One moment stands out vividly: a young man, blind in one eye, ran down the hospital hallway the next day to thank Dr. French. “He was far too young to lose his sight. Everyone should have the right to see,” she says.
Jody shared that this was something she had always dreamed of—helping others who truly needed it. She expressed deep gratitude that her path led her to the Laurel Surgical Foundation, where she could give back in a meaningful way. She found purpose in using her skills to make a lasting difference.
“”I am so grateful and thankful for this experience. From the packing, organizing, fundraising, building the OR, scrubbing, helping the doctors and helping teach… supporting and assisting the patients… I just loved it all.” ”
She remains grateful to Christine, Chip, and Dr. French for giving her the opportunity to be part of something so meaningful—and she’s already looking forward to the next mission.