Bridget Colvin’s Story
Burnaby’s Colvin family had just returned home from an annual Christmas Eve tradition in 2018 when 33-year-old daughter Bridget started feeling dizzy and unwell. As the discomfort and chest pains grew worse, her parents called 911. Shortly after firefighters and paramedics arrived, her heart stopped. The paramedics shocked her heart, and Bridget was rushed to Royal Columbian Hospital, becoming the third member of the family to require lifesaving cardiac care at the hospital in a span of just under three years.
Jeff Palmer’s Story
Jeff Palmer was feeling good on the first day of the annual Cops for Cancer fundraising ride in 2015. The West Vancouver police officer had chatted with students at a Burnaby elementary school before he headed back out on the road with other members of his cycling team. But shortly thereafter, he started feeling lightheaded. Just as he thought about telling nearby paramedics, his heart stopped.
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.
Gurcharan Dhindsa’s Story
Gurcharan Singh Dhindsa remembers an intense toothache. He felt unsteady as he walked down the stairs at his local Gurdwara. The 81-year old Abbotsford man somehow drove home and lay down on his bed. When his wife and granddaughter checked on him, he could no longer speak. He fell over when they tried to get him up. Unbeknownst to the family, a large clot had blocked one of the major arteries providing blood flow to the brain, triggering a potentially devastating and deadly stroke.
Diane Les’s Story
It was a random fundraising phone call from Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation that brought Diane Les and her husband Ed into the lives of thousands of others. Since that first call some 16 years ago, with a simple request for a $20 donation, the couple’s unassuming generosity has greatly advanced the care provided to a multitude of patients from across the region.
Help BC’s busiest cardiac care team
Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation wants to bring the latest technology and equipment to the hospital’s cardiac catheterization lab – the busiest in the province and serving the entire Fraser Health region.
The Cardiac Care Campaign has a $3.3 million dollar fundraising goal to upgrade Royal Columbian Hospital’s two cath lab suites, which are available 24/7 for cardiac emergencies like acute heart attacks. The interventional cardiology team performs high-levels of angioplasty to restore blood flow to blocked arteries and conducts angiograms to diagnose heart disease and other cardiac problems.
Simon Ma’s Story
Simon Ma knew he had high blood pressure. He is also the first to admit he had a poor diet, didn’t exercise, and he wasn’t being helped by his pack-a-day smoking habit. But the 50-year old Burnaby man is stunned at how suddenly his life almost ended one night while watching his son play hockey at a Surrey arena.
Ethel Goddard’s Story
Ethel Goddard has led an impressively active life. Hiking, cycling, skiing, tennis: she and her husband would frequently gather the three children and spend time doing all kinds of outdoors activities. It’s a habit Ethel carried into her 80s, as the Langley resident joined local fitness group sessions and walked regularly. It was while out with her daughter that her condition dramatically changed.