Dr. John Di Costanzo, wearing light blue medical scrubs and a purple lanyard, sits in his clinic smiling warmly as he speaks with grateful patient and former MSH Foundation Board Chair Mark Lievonen. Mark, dressed in a light blue button-down shirt, sits across from him, also smiling. They are seated in a bright examination room with medical models and supplies on the counter behind them, reflecting the trusted, long-standing relationship built over Mark’s prostate cancer care journey.

In trusted hands

Grateful patient and former Markham Stouffville Hospital Foundation Board Chair, Mark Lievonen, shares his journey with prostate cancer and the hospital that’s been a constant in his life for more than 35 years.

A familiar face at MSH

For more than three decades, Mark Lievonen has called Markham and Stouffville home. He moved to Unionville with his family in 1990 and later settled in Stouffville in 2012. Over those 35 years, Mark has become deeply connected to the community — and to Oak Valley Health’s Markham Stouffville Hospital (MSH).

Mark is no stranger to MSH. An active community leader, he served as Chair of the MSH Foundation Board and is the Vice-Chair of the Governors’ Circle — a group established in 2015 to reunite past board members who still play a vital role as ambassadors.

Having spent much of his career in the vaccine industry, Mark truly appreciates the people who make quality health care possible, whether behind the scenes, on the frontlines, or through donor support. “I am a big fan of having this kind of care in the community,” says Mark. “I have a real preference for coming to MSH. I do not want to go downtown for care. This is an easier, friendlier place to be.”

This appreciation grew even stronger when he experienced exceptional patient care and compassion at MSH firsthand.

A diagnosis that changed everything

Mark’s prostate cancer journey began in 2006 when a routine screening with his family doctor, Dr. Stephen McLaren, showed elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels. The results were cause for concern, and that’s when Mark was referred to Dr. John Di Costanzo, Oak Valley Health Urologist.

“I had known Dr. Di Costanzo before from interacting with him while I was on the Foundation Board, and my wife had been a patient of his,” Mark recalls.

For several years, Mark’s condition was closely monitored by his care team. In 2012, it became clear that it was time to move forward with surgery. That June, Dr. Di Costanzo performed Mark’s prostate removal at MSH, coincidentally the same summer Mark and his wife were moving to Stouffville. This transition was even more challenging as he was recovering from surgery.

I have trusted Dr. John Di Costanzo with my life.

Mark Lievonen

Dedicated care and lasting trust

Following the procedure, Mark developed new challenges with healing that required close attention. Dr. Di Costanzo was there every step of the way.

“He worked very closely with me and kept me out of the Emergency Department,” Mark says.

After months of close follow-ups and additional treatment, including radiation therapy in 2013, Mark’s condition stabilized. He now continues to see Dr. Di Costanzo every six months for regular check-ups.

“Overall prognosis is good,” Mark says. “I will likely die with prostate cancer, but not because of it. There are side effects I have to deal with, but overall, it is a success.”

A message for the community

Today, Mark continues to manage his symptoms and live life fully, something he credits to the support and care he received from Dr. Di Costanzo and the team at MSH. He is grateful for every step of his journey and remains committed to using his experience to help others.

One message he hopes to share with others is the importance of screening. “The most important thing I can recommend is getting the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test and doing the prostate cancer screening,” Mark says. “This is a disease that, if you diagnose early, it is treatable.”

Mark also believes in supporting programs that bring comfort to patients, including the Bear Necessities program. “The program gives people the opportunity to donate in a meaningful way,” he says. “It gets teddy bears and blankets to patients, and it is very visible. When you make a donation, you know exactly what it is going toward. Many people do not realize that the government cannot fund everything.”

Your gift this Giving Tuesday, December 2, 2025, will support MSH Foundation’s Bear Necessities program, which delivers cuddly bears and cozy blankets to patients at MSH, while funding the equipment our hospital needs to provide the best care possible. This year, your donation will go three times as far, thanks to a generous Friend of MSH Foundation who is tripling all gifts up to $100,000. Your support ensures that patients like Mark continue to receive the care they deserve. Give generously today.