Megan was 11 years old on July 29, 2015, when she heard her mom Brenda panicking on the phone with Bill, Megan’s dad. “Mom knew that something was very wrong; he began acting strange and either dropped the phone or hung up on my mom mid-call,” recalls Megan.
Brenda immediately called their workplace, and the staff began searching for Bill. They soon found him in his car and concluded he had suffered a stroke while driving and talking with Brenda. Thankfully, he didn’t make it far from work and had managed to park. Bill was rushed to HSC where Megan and Brenda met him.
Upon being ushered to a private room near the emergency room, Megan remembers going through a lot of Kleenex while her mom answered questions about their family health history. “We broke down crying when we saw my dad in his hospital bed—he couldn’t speak. A doctor tried to get him to say my name, my age, or say what school I went to, but he simply couldn’t.”
The following hours were a flurry of assessments until Dr. Joseph Silvaggio, neurosurgeon, arrived and explained that Bill needed surgery to remove the clot from his carotid artery. “I still remember that exact moment—it felt like I had never truly heard the word surgery until then,” says Megan.
Megan and Brenda spent many late nights and early mornings at HSC while Bill recovered from his stroke and surgery. “There was an empty hospital bed next to my dad. A nurse kept it free for as long as possible so that I could sleep next to him,” recalls Megan.
Thankfully, Bill recovered remarkably after his two surgeries.
Inspired by the remarkable care Bill received, coupled with the expertise of Dr. Silvaggio, Megan decided to pursue a career in medicine.
“Not only did Dr. Silvaggio save my dad, but he shaped the person that I have become. From the moment that I met Dr. Silvaggio, I trusted him and knew that he would do anything to make sure my dad was okay,” says Megan.
Today, Megan continues to carry the impact of her family’s experience with her, both personally and professionally. “Ten years later, my dad is doing well and I’m now finishing my degree and preparing to apply to medical school in Manitoba, inspired by the care we received at HSC.”
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