Howard’s Story
My name is Howard, and I can still remember that day, many years ago, when I was surrounded by a team of six fast-acting medical staff at Richmond Hospital’s Emergency Department. Today, I’d like to share my story with you in the hopes that you’ll see how important our hospital is and join me in supporting one of our community’s most vital services.
We never know when an emergency might emerge, but when my time came, I received incredible medical care that saved my life.
Earlier that week, I had woken up with what felt like heartburn and stuffy lungs. My wife Margaret noticed that my breathing was shallow and I seemed off. She decided to rush me straight to the hospital. After a series of tests and several hours of monitoring, I was given the green light to go home. However, the doctor gave me a serious warning that my symptoms could mean heart disease, and I needed to be very vigilant about any other symptoms that might come up.
Days later, I felt a sudden crushing pressure on my chest. This was it. I knew that if I didn’t get to the hospital right away, my time would come. We made it to Richmond Hospital’s Emergency Department in less than 15 minutes. I was so thankful to have a hospital so close to home.
My heart rate was soaring over 200 beats per minute. You almost couldn’t see the blipping on the machine. The hospital staff acted fast to get my heart rate under control.
I knew I was in the best hands, and for that reason, felt somewhat at ease.
“But when I was lying in my hospital bed, surrounded by my five children and my wife who were looking at me filled with love, fear, and concern—that was the moment I felt worried. They needed me.”
In moments like these, your support for Richmond Hospital means more than anything. Your recent gift makes all the difference to those who are experiencing their own medical emergency. Would you please continue to give so that more people can receive lifesaving care, like I did?
After running many more tests, the doctors at Richmond Hospital discovered that I had a 95% blockage in an artery in my heart and a 75% blockage in several others. It had been a very close call.
Over the next days, the nurses and doctors worked hard to get me into stable condition so I could undergo heart surgery. I was then sent to top specialists who would put a stent into my blocked arteries.
We don’t realize it, but the hospital directly affects our lives every day. We just never know when we’ll need it. Any of us, or our loved ones, could get into a car accident, injure ourselves, or take an accidental fall. Health care services are important for everyone.
Having lived in Richmond for the past five decades, I have both seen and experienced firsthand the impact Richmond Hospital is making.
And as my wife Margaret and I watch our ten grandchildren grow, we recognize the importance of supporting our hospital so we can continue spending quality time with our family and be assured they too will have access to the best health care now and into the future.
So for me, supporting this hospital we all rely on is only natural. It’s a blessing to be able to give, and Margaret and I share what we have now, regardless of the amount, rather than wait until later.
Richmond Hospital is the centre of our community. We are so lucky to have top-notch doctors, amazing nurses, and incredible medical equipment right here in Richmond.
I hope my story has inspired you to support the hospital that we are so lucky to have right here in our own community today.
Your support ensures that Richmond Hospital can continue to be here for us and our families when we need it most. Please give generously.
Sincerely,
Howard Lam
Supporter of Richmond Hospital Foundation
