Returning the Favour: Saving Lives One Heart at a Time

As a paramedic, Brent Kelland has done his fair share of saving lives. However, a shocking discovery around the health of Brent’s heart turned him from retired paramedic to patient, just in time for a second chance at life. Thankfully, the CK Hui Heart Centre was able to return the favour of saving his life, in large part due to donor support and the expertise of the centre’s cardiologists.

0

Completed visits

for Stress Tests, Holter Monitors, Arrhythmia (+Heart Function & Pacemaker clinic)

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Cases

for PCIs, Cardiac Catheterizations, and Device Implants (PMs and ICDs only)

0

Inpatient Admissions

for CICU and 1E

As a retired paramedic, 64-year-old Brent Kelland knew all too well the warning signs of a heart attack. He brushed off pain in his upper abdomen, attributing it to too many holiday sweets. One day while cross country skiing it extended into his chest and back.

The pain in his abdomen hadn’t eased up, so Brent scheduled his annual medical appointment hoping for some answers. Gastrointestinal issues were ruled out and Brent was provided with directions to undergo a stress test as soon as possible. Because of a cancelation, he was able to get in that afternoon, and after less than five minutes on the treadmill was told to go to the Cardiac Catheterization Lab at the Royal Alexandra Hospital. This was not good news.

Brent was suffering severe impairment in his heart from a 90% blockage of his largest coronary artery. He was in shock when it was confirmed he would need a heart stent, a small tube placed in a coronary artery to help keep it open. Having watched the same procedure many times from the observation room, it was now his turn on the operating table.

“As a paramedic, I was equipped with medical knowledge, technology, and backup. But that does not mean that people trained with this armour have the same defense when it comes to personal situations.”

A few days later, his wife Elke dropped him off at the CK Hui Heart Centre for his procedure. As he prepared for the operation, Brent felt a deep emptiness and fear like no other, knowing how close he was to experiencing a major blockage. But Brent had great confidence in medicine, especially cardiac medicine, and the doctors understood his background and treated him as though he was on their team.

In less than an hour, Brent was sitting up in his hospital bed, his wife greeting him in the doorway. He asked what kind of damage he had as a result of the event and was told that although he was circulating by a thread, that thread kept everything alive.

He returned to his cardiologist a year from his surgery to receive answers on the state of his heart. There was no evidence a stent was even placed and enlargement in the left side of his heart (detected immediately after his stent procedure) had completely subsided. Trembling as a wave of emotion washed over him, Brent asked if he would ever be able to ski again. And in one simple “yes,” he was gifted his life back. He left for the Rocky Mountains the very next day to go skiing with one of his best friends.

Brent has yet to let one day go by without recognizing every bit of value and joy it brings. From time spent with the love of his life Elke and watching his son Andrew take after him in healthcare, to travelling across Europe and riding his motorbike freely into the days he now has — all because of the dedicated people behind the CK Hui Heart Centre.

Thank you to all those who have supported the CK Hui Heart Centre and have helped make it the leader in cardiology excellence that it is, providing compassionate, life-saving care to the community.

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Returning the Favour: Saving Lives One Heart at a Time

As a paramedic, Brent Kelland has done his fair share of saving lives. However, a shocking discovery around the health of Brent’s heart turned him from retired paramedic to patient, just in time for a second chance at life. Thankfully, the CK Hui Heart Centre was able to return the favour of saving his life, in large part due to donor support and the expertise of the centre’s cardiologists.

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Royal Alexandra Hospital

Bridging Gaps: The Royal Alexandra Hospital's Commitment to Community Health

At the Royal Alexandra Hospital (RAH), the journey toward advancements in community health has been marked by significant milestones. Over the past decade, the hospital has championed programs that address the critical needs of resilient populations, allowing for the success of the Addiction Recovery and Community Health (ARCH) initiative to pave the way for new support avenues like the Bridge Healing program.

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Transforming Women’s Health: The Power of Community and Innovation at the Lois Hole Hospital for Women

The Lois Hole Hospital for Women continues to drive transformational change in women’s health through the generous contributions of our empowering donor community, passing several notable milestones–while always reaching for new ones. The Dale Sheard Centre for Solutions in Women’s Health, a cornerstone of research excellence, now proudly bears the sign of its namesake, and the Lois Hole Hospital Women’s Society succeeded in surpassing a grand total of $1,000,000 raised in support of innovative programs. Together, we are shaping the future of women’s healthcare and creating lasting change for generations to come.

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Returning the Favour: Saving Lives One Heart at a Time

As a paramedic, Brent Kelland has done his fair share of saving lives. However, a shocking discovery around the health of Brent’s heart turned him from retired paramedic to patient, just in time for a second chance at life. Thankfully, the CK Hui Heart Centre was able to return the favour of saving his life, in large part due to donor support and the expertise of the centre’s cardiologists.

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Disease Research 

The Eye Institute of Alberta plays a pivotal role in advancing and treating vision health, but there is more to it than just treating a person’s sight. Dr. Matthew Benson’s research into genetic conditions impacting vision, sparked by a chance encounter with a young patient, helps to show how vision health is more than just treatment of someone’s ability to see, it is about changing lives and fostering hope in medical innovation.

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Poised for Progress: Making Strides Towards Equity in Women’s Health

Thanks to the community’s steadfast devotion and significant contributions to a more equitable future for women’s healthcare, the Alberta Women’s Health Foundation (AWHF) has been able to support crucial research into conditions that disproportionately affect women–and is poised to make even more progress.