Muslim business group raises $30K in half hour for Royal Columbian critical care
The Muslim Business Council of BC has made quick work of its goal in support of Royal Columbian Hospital’s critically ill and injured patients.
During a thirty minute pledge drive at the group’s annual fundraising dinner Sunday evening, in partnership with the Canadian Society of Fiji Muslims, guests made thousands of dollars in personal donations to help Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation purchase much-used patient monitoring equipment.
The total of more than $30,000 raised at the dinner will be directed by the Foundation towards a new Transport Monitor, which is used to keep a close watch on intensive care patients’ vital signs as they are carefully moved around the hospital for testing and procedures.
Bola Family’s Story
The expression like father, like son took on new significance for the Bola family in Surrey, after Pritam Singh (Peter) Bola and his father Santokh Singh Bola both underwent open heart surgery at Royal Columbian Hospital – a month apart from each other.
Scott McGillivray’s Story
It was a beautiful, unseasonably hot spring day in the Lower Mainland, the start of what turned out to be the longest warm spell of 2009. For Scott McGillivray, it was a perfect day to cruise home from work on his one-year-old Victory Jackpot motorcycle. He was in Cloverdale, close to his destination, when a truck swerved into him. The accident left Scott with a number of injuries, including several shattered ribs and a broken shoulder blade. But it was a tear in the body’s main artery that put his life most in danger.
Sam Stewart’s Story
Jane Stewart was getting increasingly concerned. Her once-active 10-year old son Sam had developed a limp and was suffering from a sharp leg pain that was getting progressively worse as the months wore on. The pain hindered Sam’s ability to play soccer or even enjoy a good night’s sleep. It wasn’t until the family met a specialist at Royal Columbian Hospital that they finally found answers and an eventual solution.
Harriet Fowler’s Story
Harriet Fowler was an 18-year old South Surrey resident who loved ballet, had graduated high school and was preparing for college when her world changed. She was left hospitalized for months at Royal Columbian Hospital with a significant brain injury after a severe collision with a dump truck. Her recovery, still ongoing years later, has nevertheless been remarkable so far, and she hopes her story offers hope to others who face the same kind of adversity.
Rose Aviado’s Story
Rose Aviado had not been feeling well the night before. Despite that, as she woke up this October morning, the Surrey resident decided she would not call in sick.
Instead, Rose headed off to work with her husband Cesar, as usual, walking part of the route to the office where they both worked. It was on their way there that the seriousness of her condition started to become clear. Rose complained of dizziness then stumbled to the ground. She would suffer the first of several cardiac arrests that day and in the process would become the first patient at Royal Columbian Hospital to have her life saved with the help of a new donor-funded piece of equipment that had arrived just the day before.
Peter Rogal’s Story
Halloween is always a huge affair in the Rogal household. Peter and his family carve over a hundred pumpkins that are put on display each year outside their Tsawwassen home. But unbeknownst to the Rogals, October 31, 2013, would end up being part of much darker episode that brought Peter to the brink of death and back again.
Christine Ashton’s Story
It started with a headache the night before. Christine Ashton, 23 weeks pregnant, knew having twins meant an increased risk of complications. When she still felt unwell the next day, she described her pain to a relative. The conclusion: she was having contractions.
Johnny Gahir’s story
There must be some mistake, thought Johnny Gahir. After all, the robust, energetic 37-year-old father of two from Surrey exercised regularly and took good care of himself. But there was no mistaking the chest pains he was experiencing after coming home from the gym. A cardiology stress test at his local hospital revealed a shadow on the front of his heart and the need for a referral to Royal Columbian Hospital’s cardiac care team.