Patient Stories

Our pretty little elves from Como Lake Middle School are proud of their hand-made quilts. They are donating their quilts for the patients of the Transitional Care Unit at Eagle Ridge Hospital this Christmas. Novia Chao, Danielle Cullum, Jaein Jeong, Diana Jung, Emilee Lai, Brianna Larsen, Sophie Lee, Marie Lochhead, Darpan Malhi, Trieuvy On, WonJu Park, Ahliya Penn, Desiree Penn, Natatie Stewart, Hana Tagliafero, Jessica Wang, Maxine Yip, and Ms. Marlene Fox, teacher.

Wrapped with Love

When patients at Eagle Ridge Hospital are missing family over the holidays, our community and caring staff are wrapping them up in love and a hand-made quilt.  Patients on the Transitional Care Unit (TCU) will keep cosy while wrapped in beautiful quilts.  Dianna Rastad, program clerk at Eagle Ridge Hospital has inspired others to give back to Eagle Ridge Hospital and this year, all 26 patients will be receiving lap quilts for their wheel chairs or beds.

Dianna has sewn some of the quilts herself and received wonderful help by ERH nurses Kathy Carpenter and Margot Calvert (and family).  As well, a group of young quilters from Como Lake Middle School, instructed by teacher Ms. Marlene Fox, made quilts in class and donated them to the patients.

In our TCU at Eagle Ridge Hospital, 26 patients stay on average 2 to 3 months, receiving excellent care while waiting to be well enough for transfer to a long-term care facility or home. If you wish to support patient care at Eagle Ridge Hospital, please make a donation now and call us at 604-469-3128.

“Little hospital – Big Heart”

Thanks to the heroic efforts of Eagle Ridge Hospital staff, 38-year-old nurse Penny Reed is alive to tell her tale of surviving a life-threatening blood clot in her lung called a pulmonary embolism (full story). Penny’s husband Scott summed up their feelings about the ER staff with glistening eyes, “They’re all saints as far as we’re concerned!”

When Penny arrived by ambulance and went in to cardiac arrest, Dr. Jason Exner and the Emergency team quickly sprang to action. “Everyone’s energy was directed to bed 101,” said Scott. Dr. Peter Blair, who was at the hospital to perform elective surgery, was called upon to open up Penny’s chest. Then, with the whole team focused on keeping Penny alive, Dr. Exner began manual cardiac massage which he continued through the entire ambulance trip to Royal Columbian Hospital where Penny had open heart surgery.

Acute Care Director, Carol McGrandles explained, “It was a very intense time but we’re like a big family of health professionals here, and when one area needs help we all pitch in.” Staff came from many areas to provide assistance to Emergency, where resources were stretched beyond the limit. This demonstrated what many already know – even though Eagle Ridge is a small community hospital, it is one with a big heart.

Penny said, “I think that lots of people see the ‘Hospital’ and ‘Emergency’ signs as they drive by and think that a hospital is a hospital. They would probably be surprised to know that Eagle Ridge doesn’t offer all of the services they expect. However, when you are truly sick and arrive at Emergency, they are there for you.”

Arthur Lyons

On August 13, 2006, a neighbour called to say my brother Frank, age 86, had taken a spell and urged me to come right away. When I got there I found Frank unable to communicate clearly; unable to stand. After an anxious call to 911, an ambulance came quickly and transported him to Eagle Ridge Hospital straight away.

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Caden and Lisa Boesel

Our story began when Caden was only three. Little boys are usually indestructible – full of noise and energy and unstoppable questions. Caden was none of those things right then. He had been ill for three weeks with high fevers, nausea, swelling behind his ear and dehydration that saw him lose 10 lbs. We took him to umpteen doctors and in spite of antibiotics for an ear infection, Caden kept getting worse. He was a sick little boy who couldn’t get the help he needed. Not being able to help him made me feel guilty and vulnerable. The lump had grown to the size of a red golf ball and on February 14, Valentine’s Day, in desperation and not knowing where else to turn, I took him to the Emergency Department at Eagle Ridge Hospital.

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