Millionaire Lottery raises funds for life-saving care at VGH and UBC

From critical-care equipment to vital research, lottery sales can save lives

Paul Dragan was having a morning coffee near his bike shop in Yaletown in August 2014 when his life changed in an instant. Dragan was shot in the chest and lost 80 per cent of his blood by the time he arrived at the emergency department at Vancouver General Hospital (VGH). “Six days later I woke up with my wife standing over me saying that I was in hospital, that I was OK, but that I’d been shot,” says Dragan, who owns Reckless Bike Stores. “I didn’t know what was going on; I just knew that there was an incredible team of people helping me.” Dragan had been without a pulse and described as clinically dead when he arrived at VGH but was brought back to life thanks to teams of highly trained experts, specialists, and medical staff. “He was seen by our emergency nurses and physicians who would have been immediately involved in his care,” says Dr. Morad Hameed, a trauma surgeon at VGH who cared for Dragan. “If we didn’t have some of the equipment we did — for instance an ultrasound and high-resolution CT scanning — we couldn’t push the boundaries of what’s possible by providing lifesaving care for patients like Paul.” Each year, VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation’s Millionaire Lottery raises funds for the most urgent needs facing Vancouver General Hospital, UBC Hospital, GF Strong Rehabilitation Centre, and Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, including purchasing critical equipment, supporting high-impact research projects, and advancing patient care. VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation raises funds for specialized adult health services and research that benefit all British Columbians and supports community health services for people throughout Vancouver. “During any given year, VGH provides care for about 600,000 people,” says Barbara Grantham, President and CEO of the VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation. “People from across B.C. come to VGH for advanced treatments that are only available here. VGH, together with UBC Hospital and GF Strong Rehab Centre are the province’s largest, most specialized health referral centres for adults. “Every Millionaire Lottery ticket purchased helps our dedicated doctors, nurses, and health-care teams deliver B.C.’s most specialized care for adults by funding urgently needed medical equipment that helps to advance patient care and innovative research.” There are seven incredible grand prizes this year. Supporting the Millionaire Lottery is a chance to live life like never before. Imagine winning the four-bedroom White Rock Oceanview home that comes with a BMWi3 Electric, a beautiful lakeview Morgan Creek home near the golf course valued at more than $2.7 million; a two-bedroom City Life condo at Pinnacle Residences at the Pier in North Vancouver worth over $2.8 million; or a West Coast-inspired home in North Vancouver that’s ideal for outdoor enthusiasts and comes with $1 million in cash. Other grand prizes are a stunning Watermark Beach Resort townhome in Osoyoos, a pair of condos in Burnaby’s exciting Solo District, and $2.5 million in tax-free cash. Then there’s the 50/50 PLUS draw: the jackpot can reach $2.2 million, and the winner takes half. “The prizes people can win are mind-blowing,” says Millionaire Lottery spokesperson Todd Talbot, co-host of Love It or List It Vancouver. “They would change someone’s life.” Through the generosity of donors, the VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation is able to raise funds to support patients and their families in their times of greatest need through innovative, transformational and sustainable health care. To continue providing life-changing and life-saving care, the Foundation depends on community support to buy the latest equipment and fund research that will help lead to new discoveries and advances in patient care. Dragan survived thanks to the quick actions of the medical teams at VGH and the advanced level of medical care he received throughout his recovery. Despite the severity of his injuries, Dragan sustained no brain damage or paralysis and was back at his bike shop two months later. “I had a very strong desire to live, a very strong desire to see my son grow up and to spend more time with my wife and my family,” Dragan says. “There’s a tremendous amount of need for extra equipment and resources, and that’s where VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation and donors and companies come in. “The skill of the care I must have received is incredible, because I could be sitting in a wheelchair and unable to ride my bike or go on a bike ride with my son,” he adds. “To be able to look forward to that, to have that ability… I didn’t have it and it was given back to me.” Deadline for the Early Bird prize, worth more than $200,000 is midnight Thursday, Dec. 24. Tickets are 1 for $100/2 for $175/3 for $250/ 8 for $500. 50/50 Plus tickets are 2 for $15/ 6 for $30/16 for $60.