NEW WESTMINSTER, BC, June 12, 2026 — Support Royal Columbian Hospital by purchasing a ticket for the 50/50 Lottery, and you may just win the jackpot!
With every ticket purchase, you’re making stories like Margaret Swanson’s possible. What began as a familiar workout at her local gym, quickly turned life-threatening when everything in front of Margaret appeared “sparkly” and she collapsed. At 69 years old, Margaret was experiencing a major stroke. “I remember looking at my phone and everything just did not look right,” Margaret recalls. “The next thing I knew, I was on the floor. I could not speak, and I could not move properly. I was confused more than anything.”
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When Margaret arrived at Royal Columbian Hospital, the stroke team was already waiting. Dr. Zameer Hirji, Interventional Radiologist, had been alerted by Royal Columbian Hospital stroke Neurologist, Dr. Hassanain Toma, before she reached the hospital. “I received the call at 1:06 p.m. that a patient with a high likelihood of a large-vessel stroke was on the way,” says Dr. Hirji. “From that moment, everything moved very quickly. Mrs. Swanson arrived in our ER at 1:08pm and by 1:42 p.m., we had removed the clot and fully restored blood flow to her brain.”
The procedure, known as a mechanical thrombectomy, involves accessing a blood vessel through her groin and navigating a catheter or “thin tube” using imaging guidance to the brain to remove the clot. Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation continues to raise funds for expanded imaging and intervential radiology, helping to make RCH a provincial leader in critical care. Your participation makes this work possible!
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About Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation
As BC’s leading critical care hospital, one in three British Columbians rely on Royal Columbian Hospital. We are the only hospital in BC with trauma, cardiac, neurosciences, high-risk maternity and neonatal intensive care on one site. We look after some of the most seriously ill and injured patients, and we do it with the support of donors like you.
Since 1978, donors to Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation have helped fund priority equipment needs, facility enhancements, research, education and innovation at Royal Columbian Hospital. Visit rchfoundation.com for more information.
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