equipped to treat me. I was in critical condition and it wasn’t looking good.
That’s when they called the Mazankowski Alberta Heart
Institute. They knew being treated at the Maz was my only
chance to survive.
But first I had to make it there…
My heart stopped twice more on the way to the Maz. I will be forever
grateful to everyone who was so determined to keep me alive.
Immediately after arriving at the Maz, highly specialized medical staff
put me on an Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) machine that
took over the function of my heart and lungs – allowing my body to rest.
Surgeons were then able to perform an intricate surgery to repair
my heart and lungs.
I was in a coma for ten days after the surgery. When I finally woke
up, I wasn’t able to talk or move.
I later found out that a blood clot in my leg had suddenly
ruptured. Pieces of the clot had moved to my heart and lungs, cutting
off vital blood supply.
To put it simply, without the Maz, I wouldn’t be here today.
It truly does take a team. From the specialists who placed me on
ECMO… to the highly skilled surgeons who repaired my heart and lungs…
to the physiotherapists who helped get me up and moving again.
Through your support you are an integral part of that team.
Among many other things, your gifts help fund essential equipment.
Equipment that can mean the difference between life and death.
Equipment like an ECMO Transport System – a portable version
of the technology that saved my life. With this technology, highly trained
medical staff from the Maz can travel to any patient and initiate life-saving