High Fives For Health Care: Supporting BC's Health Care Heroes

Thank you for supporting BC’s health care heroes

In five short weeks our philanthropic community helped High Fives for Health Care reach extraordinary heights, raising vital funds in support of the most urgent needs of our health care system and the medical teams who work tirelessly to save lives every day.

And it didn’t stop with the donations! People across the province joined in on the fun, posting creative, COVID-19 friendly high fives through social media, along with inspiring messages of support for our local health care heroes.

During the campaign, we shared incredible stories of hope, recovery, and innovation. Check out our broadcast event on CKNW and Global TV just in case you missed it (or want to rewatch it).

Thank you once again to our matching donors, John and Sherry Floren, Djavad Mowafaghian Foundation, Noordin and Nancey Nanji, Alan and Gwendoline Pyatt Foundation, Juggy Sihota-Chahil, TELUS and anonymous donors, who doubled the impact of every gift.

Because of the generosity of so many, patients at VGH and UBC Hospital are able to be cared for by the best teams who have access to state-of-the-art equipment utilizing treatments based on the latest research.

Thank you, and high five to all of you!

High Fives for Health Care - Thank you!

Inspiring stories of care and resilience

Throughout the campaign, we shared incredible stories of patients surviving and thriving after devastating accidents, overcoming disease and complex conditions with the specialized care provided by the medical experts and teams at VGH, UBC Hospital and GF Strong Rehab Centre.

COVID-19 accelerated the use of telehealth and virtual care, and the use of these donor-supported tools is only going to grow – providing care that is more accessible than ever to patients across BC.

“Virtual health is really about using technologies to support health. How can we do what we do today better using technology. And how can we deliver care that historically has been impossible,” says Dr. Kendall Ho, Research Lead, Emergency Digital Medicine.

Learn more

Imagine a person struggling with addictions and possible trauma coming in to receive care. Then, imagine they are being asked to transport themselves across different cities and manage their own appointments, in addition to having limited transportation and timekeeping options on top of these incredibly challenging issues.

This is a reality for so many people who have found themselves in desperate need of help. We need to make the system more accessible than ever so that they do not slip through the cracks.

This is why we are fundraising for the new Withdrawal Management Centre.

Learn more

One day, Denise Johnson lay in bed, heart pounding in her chest and discomfort and pain beginning to shoot down her arm. She thought to herself, ‘Am I having a heart attack?’

She had gone in for several different exams, but they could find no answers.

Denise advocated that it was physiological, and together with her family doctor got a referral to the one person who would find out what was truly going on — Dr. Tara Sedlak, cardiologist and director of the Leslie Diamond Women’s Heart Health Clinic at VGH.

Read Denise’s Story

“They saw a shadow in my spine and it was cancer.

I had a 22-hour surgery to remove three vertebrae in my neck and put a piece of my pelvis there instead.

VGH is the only place in BC where this kind of complex surgery can happen so I was very fortunate to be able to receive care there.” – Michaela Baer

Read Michaela’s Story

When David’s knees buckled and he was suddenly unable to speak, his wife recognized the signs immediately – he was having a stroke. He needed care only the VGH Stroke Program could provide.

Read David’s Story

“After surviving a horrific car crash in 2014, I didn’t know if I would ever walk again.

An ambulance came and took me to VGH where the amazing Dr. Marcel Dvorak conducted an eight-hour surgery on my spinal cord. For weeks after the surgery I was paralyzed from the waist down. The care I received at VGH was excellent, and slowly but surely, feeling returned to my legs.

I am so thankful to all the staff at VGH and everyone who helped me at GF Strong. They saved me.” – Lorraine Li

Read Lorraine’s Story

TV and radio broadcast event

On Saturday, November 14, High Fives for Health Care culminated in two broadcast events to celebrate our health care heroes and share inspiring stories of innovation, dedication and recovery. In cased you missed it or want to watch again, we’ve included the links below.

CKNW Radio Show
Marty Strong interviews with Angela Chapman, President & CEO, VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation; Dr. Keith Baxter, Chief of Surgery, VGH; and Dr. Kendall Ho, Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine. This radio show highlights the work of our physicians and how donations support them.

Global BC TV Broadcast
Hosted by Todd Talbot and Karen Khunkhun, this educational show features interviews with Angela Chapman, President & CEO, VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation, and a number of our health care heroes including Dr. Silke Cresswell, Director, BC Wellness Program; Kristin Nelson, Addiction Nurse; Dr. David Wood, Director, VGH Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory; Teresa Zurberg, Canine Detection Manager and Angus the detection dog. The show highlights the innovative work of our health care heroes and how donations supports them.