FEROZA JAMAL’S STORY
NORM TANG’S STORY
David Asencio’s story
Seemingly out of nowhere, David Asencio had trouble breathing. No chest pains, but his daughter Angie could see the 76-year-old’s face was turning purple. After a 9-1-1 call, paramedics took David to Royal Columbian Hospital, where a large blood clot was found to be dangerously lodged in his lungs.
Athwal family’s story
Harbhajan Singh Athwal’s children admire their father’s commitment to his friends, family, and his faith. But when the 65-year-old family patriarch passed away from COVID-19 in March 2021, the number of stories others shared of his generosity and kindness surprised even his family. And amid the intense grief, the family knew they wanted to give back to honour his memory and thank the healthcare team at Royal Columbian Hospital.
Marcus Burry’s story
Makayla Burry did not expect to hear her newborn son cry right away, and the sound brought her and her husband to tears. In late January 2021, Marcus came into the world, extremely premature: 24 weeks and four days and weighing just 755 grams. After being delivered by emergency C-section and letting out his first cry, Marcus was quickly put under the care of Royal Columbian Hospital’s Variety Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, where he would spend more than four months, surviving a number of complications before heading home.
Marisa Sitter’s story
It started with mild flu-like symptoms, and Marisa Sitter was surprised that her COVID-19 test came back positive. Over the next few days, the Coquitlam resident’s condition progressively grew worse. In addition to a fever, she was getting dizzy, weak, and eventually had difficulty breathing. Feeling like she was drowning, Marisa made her way to Royal Columbian Hospital, where she spent close to a week in the care of a team that has looked after hundreds of COVID-19 patients since the start of the pandemic.
Dave Castle’s Story
Dave Castle had just wrapped up with a client at his barbershop in Delta when a colleague asked him if something was wrong. Feeling wobbly on his feet, everything around the 73-year-old suddenly went blurry. He slipped in and out of consciousness as the ambulance rushed him to Royal Columbian Hospital and its 24/7 acute stroke team.
Stuart Kovensky’s Story
Travel is part of the job in the investment management business, and Stuart Kovensky of New York was at the tail end of a week-long trip across Canada when he landed in BC. It was mere days after the 2010 Winter Games, and Kovensky was at a client’s house in White Rock when the 42-year-old was jolted by a pain like nothing he had ever felt before. He would soon end up at Royal Columbian, facing emergency cardiac surgery to save his life.
Alain Champagne’s Story
On the night of December 18th, 2016, Alain Champagne was getting ready for bed when his wife Marion Bonner heard a loud thump. She bolted up the stairs to check on Alain. She found him slumped against a dresser, having a seizure.
Kulwant Samra’s story
After Kulwant Samra tested positive for COVID-19, the 51-year-old Abbotsford man isolated himself from his family in a room in his home. He was tired and short of breath in the first half of June 2020, as businesses and schools in the province were re-opening following the initial protective measures taken during the start of the pandemic. Kulwant was initially still able to work remotely for his trucking company, dispatching a driver by phone the day he truly became alarmed by how he felt. His last memory was leaving his home by ambulance, before waking up eight weeks later at Royal Columbian Hospital.