Improving future respiratory care
We have some exciting news! Thanks to donors like you, TB Vets Charitable Foundation is giving $120,000 over the next three years to support the newly created TB Vets Charitable Foundation Professorship in Respiratory Care at Simon Fraser University (SFU). In partnership with Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation, this will fund the research of Dr. Elizabeth […]
Supporting Future Respiratory Therapists
Back to school season is around the corner, and each year, TB Vets supports Respiratory Therapist (RT) students at Thomson Rivers University – which is the only RT program in BC. This past year we awarded scholarships to 20 students – here’s one of their stories: “I’m finishing up my clinical year and completing […]
The Comox Valley Healthcare Foundation received a life-saving Technegas
Thanks to your generous support, you have made a difference in the lives of countless individuals. The Comox Valley Healthcare Foundation received a life-saving Technegas Generator and Delivery system (a device used for lung imaging in nuclear medicine) from TB Vets. This machine offers faster diagnoses with high-quality 3D imaging and lower radiation – meaning […]
Tackling Tuberculosis in Indigenous Communities
The looming challenge of tuberculosis (TB) continues to cast a shadow over Indigenous communities, particularly affecting Inuit populations in Canada. As the federal budget approaches, the call for urgent action to address this pressing issue grows louder, with Inuit leaders and Politicians urging the government to prioritize TB elimination efforts in Indigenous regions. Urgent Call […]
How TB Vets Supports Respiratory Disease Research
In the realm of healthcare, every breath matters. For those battling respiratory diseases, each inhalation can be a testament to resilience and hope. At TB Vets the importance of ongoing research in saving lives cannot be overstated. Respiratory diseases, including tuberculosis, asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), continue to pose challenges to individuals […]
Miles Randell: Saving Lives in the Wilderness
In the vast landscapes of British Columbia, emergencies can strike. Miles Randell, a paramedic, knows this reality all too well. In his years of service, he faced the challenge of saving lives in the wilderness, often with the nearest hospital hundreds of kilometers away. Miles’s personal stories One particular incident stands out vividly in […]
Testimonials: Diane, Board Member
“When I first joined the TB Vets board 2 years ago, the first thing that grabbed my heart was the work we do to help children on ventilators. I feel in my core that I want to do whatever I can to help. Now I have the honour of being part of the committee that […]
Testimonials: Harrison, TRU Student
“I decided to go to school for Respiratory Therapy after the COVID pandemic. After learning about the shortages of Respiratory Therapists in the news and seeing how important the work is, I applied for the program at Thomson Rivers University (TRU). I’m finishing up my clinical year and completing my bachelors simultaneously. I’ve been doing […]
Testimonials: Megan, TRU Student
“I’ve always had a desire to make a difference in people’s lives. Before starting school at Thompson Rivers University (TRU) I volunteered at many non-profits, including the Mustard Seed in Calgary. I love helping people from all backgrounds and demographics – I’ve helped with low-income populations who are waiting for housing, backpack drives for children, […]
Testimonials: Ty, TRU Student
“I decided to apply to Thomson River University’s (TRU’s) Respiratory Therapy (RT) program after graduating with a BSci. I knew I wanted to work in the medical field, and RT training allows for a lot of flexibility – I can become a Respiratory Therapist, or I can go into perfusion, anesthesiology, and many other fields. […]
Honoring Trooper: A Story of Resilience and Generosity
In the chronicles of wartime valor, few stories are as touching as that of Trooper Charles W. Fussey. Recruited in Trail, B.C. by the Duke of Connaught’s Own Rifles during World War II, Charlie was hailed for his skill and dedication. Assigned to the tank division, he was also renowned as an expert rifleman and […]
2023 50/50 Raffle Winner Announcement: Joel Madden
The winner of the 2023 TB Vets 50/50 Raffle Fundraiser is Joel Madden A loyal donor, he took home $37,970.00. Joel has been a long time TB Vets supporter and generously donated part of his winnings to TB Vets. Net proceeds of the lottery will help bring more respiratory equipment to BC’s medical frontline. The […]
A Tale of Hope and Resilience: Chloe’s Story
Being born and raised in Kamloops, Chloe Scott knows the caring nature of the community all too well. Shortly after a backyard wedding in 2020, Chloe and her husband Tom were ready to welcome a bundle of joy to their young family. In her second trimester, Chloe contracted COVID-19 and was advised by her physician […]
Championing World-Class Research – Dr. Reynolds
Goodbyes already had a more profound meaning for David Garcia, who lost his wife to cancer nearly a decade ago. He and his son know that tomorrow is promised to no one. In the spring of 2021, the family was yet again reminded of the fragile nature of life when David was hospitalized after contracting […]
Get your 2023 – 50/50 Raffle tickets | 2022 Winner Announcement: Dr. E.W. Dick
The winner of the 2022 TB Vets 50/50 Raffle Fundraiser is Dr. E.W. Dick of Abbotsford, BC. A loyal donor, he took home $59,505. He plans to purchase irrigation equipment for his farm. Net proceeds of the lottery will help bring more respiratory equipment to BC’s medical frontline. The winning ticket number was 156045, drawn […]
Your Gift in Action
For more than 35 years, support from TB Vets Charitable Foundation and its donors has fueled Thompson Rivers University’s (TRU) respiratory therapy program through critical funding for equipment and student awards. The success of our program is directly linked to the incredible support you’ve provided over the years. In 2022, 11 well-deserving Respiratory Therapists (RT) […]
TB Recreation Therapy
Many patients this year have either been quite unwell or had unique circumstances that required them to stay at the TB Unit for a long period of time for treatment. For example, one patient came after being diagnosed with TB while working on a freighter from the Philippines. With nowhere to go to isolate, and […]
Good Bye for Now – David’s Story
Goodbyes already had a more profound meaning for David Garcia, who lost his wife to cancer nearly a decade ago. He and his son know that tomorrow is promised to no one. In the spring of 2021, the family was yet again reminded of the fragile nature of life when David was hospitalized after contracting […]
Music Therapy – Baby Ruby’s Story
Baby Ruby received lifesaving and compassionate care. When Ruby was born at just 24 weeks, her lungs had not fully developed. By her due date, she was also diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension and her care team realized she needed the specialized care only available at the BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre Neonatal Intensive Care […]
Keith Webb
Keith and Jack moved from Manitoba to Vancouver Island in 1985, and enjoyed an active 37 years in Victoria. But their world changed in April 2022, when Jack, a retired RN, had to drive Keith to Victoria General Hospital, because Keith was experiencing severe back pain, and numbness in his hands and feet. No longer […]
Baby Marcus
We didn’t know if my little boy would make it. After a difficult pregnancy and an extremely premature birth, Marcus needed several blood transfusions and antibiotics during his first few days. There was bleeding around the left side of his brain. He was intubated and under the care of the neonatal intensive care unit at […]
Dunja McCrae
A persistent cough had bothered Dunja McCrae for months. A CT scan showed a large mass in her lungs. Dunja couldn’t have been more nervous. On the day of her bronchoscopy – a medical exam on the lungs and airways – Dunja wondered, as many patients would: What if it was cancer? As a respirologist […]
Martin Beint
Into his 60s, Martin Beint only knew life as a severe asthmatic. It restricted what he could do, forced him to constantly carry an inhaler, and as a young boy in England led his family to send him to a boarding school on the coast in the belief that sea air would alleviate his symptoms. […]
Kulwant Samra
Donors to TB Vets Charitable Foundation have played a critical role during the pandemic by providing our hospitals with life-saving respiratory equipment like ventilators. Sick and isolating at home in June 2020 after testing positive for COVID-19, Kulwant Samra had just enough energy to make it outside before he collapsed in front of the paramedics […]
Roger Pinette
A bad cough, headaches, a fever, and fatigue – 72-year-old Langley resident Roger Pinette had been battling illness for a few days before he was convinced by his family to go to the hospital. Those symptoms are recognizable now as potential signs of a COVID-19 infection, but back in the early days of the pandemic […]
Kieran and Corbin
Watching your child grow up is among the great pleasures of parenthood. For Vivian, pregnant with twins in 2019, the “giggling phase” is among the moments she was most looking forward to experiencing. But one of the first and most natural milestones for newborns became an immediate and urgent concern when Vivian gave birth prematurely […]
Alexandra Kroetsch
As developments surrounding COVID-19 continue to evolve rapidly, it wasn’t that long ago that we faced another respiratory virus that caused significant illnesses, hospitalizations, and tragic loss of life. In 2009, the H1N1 pandemic sickened hundreds of millions of people in more than 200 countries. For most, the symptoms were similar to other flus. But […]
Todd Wells
“I never thought about my lungs and how important they were until they started to fail.” For Todd Wells, the truth really hit home at age 30. He had struggled with asthma most of his life, a condition made worse by a 19-year smoking habit that he admits was foolish. “I struggled with shortness of […]
Baby Finnegan
Even with Cheryl Stevenson’s nursing background, there is nothing that prepared her for the trauma, stress, and anxiety of the premature birth of her son Finnegan. Born almost three months early and weighing 3lbs 4oz, Finnegan faced numerous complications and needed many kinds of mechanical ventilation during his time in the neonatal intensive care unit […]
A Tree Faller’s Story
Despite your best precautions, sometimes accidents happen. When your worst-case scenario becomes reality, you want to know someone will be there for you. Donors to TB Vets are helping ensure advanced life support services can reach even the most remote regions of the province. In October, a tree faller’s workday turned into a horrific nightmare […]
Virgina Cross
When lung and heart disease combined to threaten Virgina Cross, she soon discovered the value of a vital first-line therapy that was provided to her local hospital by TB Vets. During winter, Virgina was felled by both a heart attack and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), putting this beloved grandmother’s life very much in jeopardy. […]
Felicity Landrey
When a newborn is not yet ready to take their first breath, TB Vets donors can help provide it for them. Melanie Bodhi was only 24-weeks pregnant when she was medically flown from Prince George to the Lower Mainland amid increasing concerns she would need to deliver very prematurely. “Melanie didn’t get to go home […]
Hazel Durance
Seeing just how small and vulnerable premature newborns are, it’s common for people to react with shock and disbelief. Born weeks or even months early, sometimes weighing less than a pound, they are surrounded by specialized equipment that delivers oxygen, nutrition and medication, helping them fight to survive. We think often of these little ones, […]
Baby Harvey
As the province struggles in recent years with record-breaking forest fire seasons, poor air quality is making breath a challenge for many British Columbians, in particular those with underlying medical conditions such as asthma, COPD, heart disease and diabetes. That makes it critical for our frontline medical heroes to have access to the right kind […]
Baby Owen
Code Pink is the alert used in BC’s hospitals for emergencies involving newborns. It triggers an immediate response from a specialized team of doctors, nurses and respiratory therapists. When a Code Pink was issued in Burnaby Hospital after the birth of baby Owen, parents Heather and Jamie’s most joyous day quickly turned into their most […]
Jason Zurba, RRT
My name is Jason Zurba and I am the Clinical Supervisor for the Respiratory Therapy (RT) Department of the Royal Columbian Hospital. I thank TB Vets for the ongoing support that they have given to Respiratory Therapy in BC and to me personally over the last two decades. I have three debts of gratitude [to […]
Baby Avery
Having the right ventilator available at the right time can make the difference between life and death. Each day, Alisen and her husband Kelsey count their blessings that the appropriate breathing support was available to save the life of their daughter Avery. The little girl was born with a rare congenital diaphragmatic hernia that prevented […]
Baby Zoe
Breathing assistance comes in many forms, and baby Zoe ran the full gamut during her 125 days inside Surrey Memorial Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. After being born 11 weeks premature and weighing only 634 grams, the little girl was connected to each of five different types of ventilators over the course of her care. […]
Casey Dyck
At one month old, Casey suffered cardiac arrest resulting in emergency cardio-pulmonary resuscitation and 26 days in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at BC Children’s Hospital. The fear of losing Casey was overwhelming hour by hour, day by day. The word “tomorrow” became Casey’s parents only ray of hope. The specialized infant ventilator […]
Kacie Hall
It may never cross your mind that you could one day need breathing assistance. But life is precarious, and illness is often sudden and unexpected. In our role as the leading respiratory charity in our province, we meet people all the time who know first-hand just how quickly one’s health can take a turn for […]
Jason Leo
From their son’s first cry, new parents Laura and Kuriakose Leo knew something was wrong. Born at Victoria General Hospital, newborn Jason was quickly moved to the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit and then transferred to BC Women’s Hospital in Vancouver. At one day old, Jason was diagnosed with complex set of health issues. That’s […]
Charlotte Epp
Three-and-a-half months premature! It’s hard to imagine how Charlotte survived her birth. Her tiny body and underdeveloped lungs were in critical distress. While a conventional ventilator initially supported her breathing, it became evident that a more specialized jet ventilator would be required to deliver emergency oxygen to Charlotte’s lungs. This jet ventilator helped save Charlotte’s […]
Andrea
Andrea is reluctant to talk about having tuberculosis (TB). She says “there is a stigma attached to the disease”. “When I was diagnosed with TB, I was surprised as I thought it was a Victorian disease. There was a person where I worked who had it. I worked in the office and that person worked […]
Nash Dhalla & Linette McElroy
In addition to all the medical equipment we can purchase with the help of donors like you, TB Vets also proudly supports education and research. Your generosity allows us to make a tremendous difference beyond acquiring the latest critical technology for our frontline medical heroes. We support initiatives that have a far-reaching impact on the […]
