Shannon Chin loves to talk about her doctor. “I call him my angel,” she says, describing how she imagines him on her right shoulder, reminding her to take care of herself. “He is a wonderful surgeon and an incredible man. I am lucky to have him as my angel.”

Shannon credits Dr. Erin Brown, Medical Director of VGH’s Plastic Surgery sub unit, and his team with returning her lower body to its current state after a life-threatening workplace accident in 2012. Dr. Brown was the first physician to treat Shannon when she was airlifted to VGH after a dump truck backed over her and dragged her 30 feet, crushing her from the chest down.

But it’s Dr. Brown’s compassion that Shannon admires. “He not only cares about the physical aspect of my healing but also the emotional recovery that I fight for every day.”

After a hospital stay of two months and many surgeries, Shannon is now back home, working on her long-term recovery. She is able to care for her eight-year-old daughter Addison, even volunteering at her school.

Shannon is honouring Dr. Brown in the Foundation’s annual Holiday Angel campaign which allows participants to recognize someone special with a donation and a personalized angel ornament. Since 2001, the Angel Campaign has raised more than $2 million in support of our hospitals’ most urgent needs, including the purchase of critical equipment, funding the latest research, and advancing patient care.

Honour your angel, a loved one, or a member of our health care team by dedicating a personalized message or by making a donation to support our hospitals.