Albertans with Okanagan ties rally for new CT scanner at Vernon Jubilee Hospital
In 2008, Alberta entrepreneur Don Friesen collapsed from a massive heart attack while on his morning walk near his summer home on Kalamalka Lake, just outside Vernon, B.C.
He was kept alive at the scene by a passing anesthesiologist from Salmon Arm before being rushed to the ICU at Vernon Jubilee Hospital (VJH) to undergo life-saving treatment.
Friesen only had a one per cent chance of survival, but thanks to the expert care he received at VJH, he is now well.
“Several angels came to my rescue in many ways, and I’m very grateful to them and to the people of BC. The quality of service and of the medical staff here is second to none,” says Friesen. He and his family spend a great deal of time in the North Okanagan.
After hearing about Vernon Jubilee Hospital’s urgent need for a second CT scanner, he began thinking of ways to help others access the same life-saving care.
CT scans are critical in ensuring patients get a quicker diagnosis that’s followed by treatment.
With one of the province’s busiest CT scanners and with 2,000 people on a waitlist, the VJH Foundation recently launched a $6.3 million CT Scanner Expansion Campaign. Friesen became a campaign champion, hosting a fundraising event and spreading the word among fellow Albertans with Okanagan connections.
“You may need these health services someday,” says Friesen. “If VJH has the best tools at hand and the best people to deliver those services, there’s a better outcome for you and your loved ones.”
The foundation has less than $300,000 left to raise thanks in part to the dozens of Friesen’s peers who have accepted the challenge.
“Getting involved with the CT scanner campaign is an opportunity for us to support the Friesen family and to give back to the Vernon community,” says Larry Smith, who spends time in the Okanagan with his wife, Betty.
“We’ve spent many summers at our home in Vernon, and it’s comforting to know that state-of-theart medical facilities are there should our family and friends ever need them.”
Friesen and fellow Albertans are urging others to help the campaign cross the finish line so all VJH patients can access more efficient care, less wait times and better outcomes.
To learn more and donate, visit Vjhfoundation.org.
THIS STORY WAS PROVIDED BY THE VERNON JUBILEE HOSPITAL FOUDATION FOR COMMERCIAL PURPOSES.