Patient stories: Hometown Heroes Lottery
PATIENT EXPERIENCES HIGHLIGHT CRITICAL IMPORTANCE OF LOTTERY FUNDING FOR BURN FUND, VGH & UBC HOSPITALS
Meagan Doumont was studying nursing in 2015 when she noticed that the sound seemed muffled in one ear while she was listening to music through her earphones. Over time, other strange symptoms showed up: her balance was off, and half of her face felt numb, making it hard to chew.
She eventually received news that floored her: her physical signs stemmed from a large acoustic neuroma, a non-malignant tumour that develops in the main nerve leading from the inner ear to the brain. It was pushing on nerves that control areas of her face and shoulders and would need to be surgically removed.
“It was very scary,” Doumont says. “I couldn’t believe that I had gone from starting out as a nurse to being a patient.”
Doumont was treated at Vancouver General Hospital (VGH) and underwent a successful 10-hour surgery on Valentine’s Day 2016. A leading neurosurgeon in North America, Dr. Ryojo Akagami has developed a technique called intraoperative monitoring, which allowed the medical team to ensure Doumont would avoid any facial paralysis after the procedure. Although she lost hearing in one ear, she ultimately regained her function, balance, and ability to smile.
“Every day after the surgery, I was surrounded by so many doctors. In that vulnerable state, to have personable surgeons come by your side to check on you is so meaningful. The nurses, physiotherapists and occupational therapists were amazing,” says Doumont.
VGH is the only hospital in B.C. with the expertise and resources to diagnose and treat all types of brain tumours, including acoustic neuromas, meningiomas and pituitary tumours. As a result, it provides the best outcomes for patients, including those facing the most complex of circumstances.
Proceeds from the Hometown Heroes Lottery provide a key source of funding for the kind of life-changing procedure Doumont had.
The lottery raises funds for health care at VGH, UBC Hospital, GF Strong Rehab Centre, Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute and Vancouver Community Health Services. Funds also support programs of the B.C. Professional Fire Fighters’ Burn Fund, including the annual Burn Camp for young burn survivors, and the Burn Fund Centre, which provides accommodations for survivors’ loved ones.
The kind of support that burn survivors receive through the Burn Fund is life-changing, as Leanne Strachan can attest.
The Vancouver resident experienced severe burns when she was a small child. While the pain and physical trauma were extraordinarily difficult to overcome, the injury also took an emotional toll. Strachan recalls being taunted and teased by other kids. She now shares her insight with other survivors through the B.C. Professional Firefighters Burn Fund.
“Bullying has a profound effect on young burn survivors as well as adults,” Strachan says. “My own personal journey as a young burn survivor and all the challenges you’re faced with taught me from an early age to always lead your life with kindness and compassion and that personal judgment has no place in our lives.
“I am incredibly passionate regarding bullying, and the only way forward is through building awareness, which the BC Professional Fire Fighters Association Burn Fund provides,” she adds. “Programs like the Burn Camp and the Future Is Mine program for adult survivors are just a few examples of how our communities continue to come together to support, educate and help others.”
The winner of the 2018 Hometown Heroes Lottery will have one of seven Grand Prize packages to choose from, including $2.1 million tax-free cash