Sheila never thought it would be her on the stretcher.
Sheila was snowmobiling near Williams Lake when the accident happened.
It was a beautiful day in January 2022 and she was out with her family and friends. They had just started to head back to their trucks when, without warning, Sheila fell into a trench that had been hidden by snowfall. Before she could climb back out, another rider fell into the trench—and his snowmobile smashed down onto her.
When her loved ones reached her, it was clear that Sheila was severely injured.
The group acted quickly—removing her helmet, doing CPR, and soon she was breathing again. But the accident had done an incredible amount of damage. Sheila had suffered a dislocated jaw, tears in her liver and spleen, and several broken bones.
Worst of all, the nerves, tendons, and nearly all the ligaments connecting her skull to her vertebral column were severed—an injury that is almost always fatal. But fortunately for Sheila, she was brought to Vancouver General Hospital (VGH)—the only site in the province able to treat complex injuries like hers.
At VGH, Dr. Charles Fisher and his team performed surgery that meant Sheila would be discharged just two weeks later.
From there it was a long, slow road to recovery. But incredibly, in March 2023, Sheila was back riding a snowmobile again—just over a year since the accident that could have killed her. Her remarkable story is a testament to the life-saving care at VGH—and the generosity of our donors, who help make it possible.
“My friends and family feared the worst,” Sheila says, “but Dr Fisher saved my life.”
Read Sheila’s full story or watch the video above.
From November to January, the holiday trees at Vancouver General Hospital (VGH), UBC Hospital and GF Strong Rehab Centre will be filled with hundreds of angels carrying messages of love and gratitude to friends and family, medical teams and hospital staff, and all the Angels in our lives.*
Thanks to generous donors, the Angel campaign has raised over $4.5 million since 2001. Your donation will fund vital research, recruit, and train world-class health care workers, and equip them with the cutting-edge tools and technology they need to save and improve lives. Donate now.