Recently, a patient, “Betty,” was rushed to our Emergency Department at Vancouver General Hospital (VGH). She was at home with her husband and suffered a Cardiac Arrest. CPR was initiated by her husband and continued with help from Paramedics before arriving at the hospital 30 minutes later. Once in the department, my colleagues and I worked quickly to stabilize Betty and initiate our “cooling” protocol using the cooling machine. This machine helps “cool” the body to 32-34 degrees Celsius, allowing the body to completely rest and recover in hopes to minimize further damage to the body and brain during such a stressful event. Later, we were told Betty recovered fully from her event and will be going home shortly.

Betty’s husband is grateful for everyone who helped save her. He heard about the cooling machine that kept her alive and learned that it was a piece of equipment that was purchased by a generous donor. He came to personally thank us today after visiting Betty. He also wanted us to pass along his sincere gratitude to the donors who bought this cooling machine because it helped minimize the damage to Betty’s body. She will be able to get back to daily walks with their dog and playdates with their grandchildren sooner because of the high quality of care we were able to provide.

For the month of August, the generous people at Grosvenor Americas is matching donations to the Emergency Department at VGH, up to $30,000. Donors like you can double the positive impact you have on patients like Betty and health care staff like me. Please give a little or a lot—every bit helps and is for an amazing cause.

 

Carrie Meagher
Emergency Room Registered Nurse
Vancouver General Hospital