Adriana Bronk’s Story
Adriana Bronk was having such bad shortness of breath, she could no longer rest in her own bed. Instead, the 91-year-old woman had begun to sleep in a reclining chair. It turns out she was in need of a new heart valve. Unfortunately, surgery was not an option for her. She also wouldn’t be suitable for a non-surgical procedure known as TAVI – that is, until Royal Columbian Hospital became only the second site in Canada to use a new approach that is providing an option for people who otherwise would have none left.
John Harrison’s Story
John Harrison was three months into his retirement when the 62-year-old and his wife Carol left their home on a nice summer morning for a regular bicycle ride in Tsawwassen. The couple approached a big hill with different strategies: Carol took it slow, while John went hard and fast. As Carol pedalled up the hill, she looked up to see that her husband, a fair distance away, was now on the ground.
Valerie Vandervelden’s Story
77-year old Valerie Vandervelden felt calm leading up to her scheduled heart procedure. She fully trusted Dr. Albert Chan, the interventional cardiologist who would be providing a drug-free option to lessen her risk of stroke. But as Valerie was brought into the cardiac catheterization lab, the Coquitlam resident was surprised at the large number of people standing by. She soon learned she was about to become part of Royal Columbian history, thanks to donors to Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation.