STARS Stories/Patient Stories

Our STARS Patients

It doesn’t matter who you are. It doesn’t matter where you are. If you need critical care, our mission is to be there for you in whatever capacity we can help. Every one of our VIPs — Very Important Patients — has a unique story of how STARS was their best hope in a worst-case scenario. We are honoured to share some of their inspirational stories here.

If you are one of our VIPs and would like to meet your crew or share your story, please email us at vip@stars.ca.

Select Stories

Reyez Rowan

Rapid response and skilled hands make a difference in a traumatic injury. After being involved in a violent incident at school, STARS Very Important Patient Reyez Rowan was quickly cared for by our talented Air Medical Crew. Leveraging years of experience and knowledge, our team worked to stop Reyez’s massive blood loss and get him to surgery. A few weeks later, he walked on to the golf course.

Doug MacTavish

Deep in the rugged mountains of northern B.C., two hunters left their riverside camp in pursuit of stone sheep. Neither could have predicted a major heart attack would derail everything. Reaching and providing critical care to STARS Very Important Patient Doug MacTavish would soon become the focus of the longest helicopter mission ever flown by STARS.

Willem van Lankvelt

Being out in nature, on his bike, has always been one of Willem van Lankvelt's favourite activities. During what Willem thought was going to be a pleasant afternoon on his bike during a family vacation, his ride took a life-threatening turn when he was struck by a truck.

Carla Minogue

In May 2004, Carla Minogue was working as the designated traffic flagger for a road crew repairing a section of the Trans-Canada Highway in a rural community. A car struck her from behind while she was loading cones into her truck. As her crew members rushed to remove her from the wreckage, a call was placed to 911 who alerted STARS Emergency Link Centre that an air medical crew was needed.

Taylor Munroe

Taylor Munroe was enjoying a long weekend in the countryside when an off-road adventure with a friend took a tragic twist. A few years after his incident, Munroe visited STARS to reunite with the crew members from his mission. “I’m living my second chance. I’m grateful for every moment. I’m amazingly grateful for STARS, because if I didn’t get the treatment I did when I did, I might not have been able to do any of those things. They helped change my life.”

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