Olga Angus’s Story
In mid-April 2020, New Westminster resident Olga Angus turned a remarkable 108-years-old. It’s an anniversary that is one for the record books worldwide, because of a life-saving cardiac procedure seven years earlier at Royal Columbian Hospital.
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.
Don Wrigley’s Story
Don Wrigley grew concerned when he started suffering from chest pains and shortness of breath whenever he tended to his garden or even walked up his driveway. Testing confirmed the cause: severe aortic stenosis, along with significant coronary artery disease. The Burnaby resident would need a new heart valve. At almost 90 years old, the question became whether open heart surgery was his only option.