HSC patient saved in donor-funded suites
Steven* went home from work because of a headache on May 6, 2022. With COVID-19 protocols in place and everyone being careful about potential symptoms, it seemed like the right thing to do.
As his headache got worse and his vision became blurry, Steven went right to bed when he got home.
“I woke up the next day and it turns out I was having a stroke while I slept,” says the father of two. “I didn’t realize it right away, but when I got out of bed my left side wasn’t working. I fell hard, broke my collarbone, and hit my head and jaw on the floor.”
Steven’s wife was out of town, and so he called a friend. “He came right over with another friend to check on me,” recalls Steven, who is in his late forties. “I just had a big fall and I was slurring my speech. They called an ambulance and sent me to HSC.”
Steven remembers the urgency and concern that surrounded him when he arrived at the HSC Emergency Department. “The doctor asked me if he had my permission to cut open my skull if required to reduce the swelling in my brain,” says Steven. “Fortunately they didn’t have to do that. I’m very grateful for the skill and commitment of Dr. Jai Shankar and Dr. Vikram Wadhwa.”
Steven was rushed over to the Paul Albrechtsen Interventional Radiology Suites in HSC’s Diagnostic Centre of Excellence to undergo a procedure called a thrombectomy to bust the brain clot that caused the stroke. The procedure involves guiding a wire through the blood vessels, starting at the groin and ending up at the clot. It is a modern, minimally invasive procedure with an excellent success rate when the patient is treated as soon as possible after a stroke.
The Paul Albrechtsen Interventional Radiology Suites were developed and equipped with the support of a $5 million gift from the late Paul Albrechtsen and a $5.2 million investment by the Province of Manitoba. Albrechtsen, the largest-ever benefactor of the HSC Foundation, passed away in July 2019. The Paul Albrechtsen Interventional Radiology Suites began operating in March 2020.
“I can’t thank Paul Albrechtsen directly, but I can thank other donors to the Foundation,” says Steven.
After his procedure, Steven spent three weeks in hospital while the swelling in his brain went down and while he started rehabilitation. At first, there was some speculation that he might never walk again, but within a few months, he was back to playing tennis and doing CrossFit. He takes blood thinners and a statin drug to help prevent a recurrence.
A strong will, great doctors, favourable circumstances, and a lot of rehab are behind Steven’s remarkable recovery, but it all started with a successful procedure in the state-of-the-art Paul Albrechtsen Interventional Radiology Suites.
“I wouldn’t be standing if it weren’t for that donation,” says Steven.
Help patients like Steven continue to receive life-saving care in the Paul Albrechtsen Interventional Radiology Suites by making a gift to HSC’s Diagnostic Centre of Excellence in support of ongoing enhancements to the space. To donate, please click here.
*Name changed.