This year’s Hometown Heroes Lottery—in support of VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation and the BC Professional Fire Fighters’ Burn Fund—offers every British Columbian the chance to be a hero.
Words: Lisa Manfield
Photography: Darren Hull, SHEILA SAY PHOTOGRAPHY + Mike Bradley
Styling: Sarah D’Arcey
Assistant Stylist: Cassidy Hale
Wardrobe provided by Nordstrom Vancouver
When Monica Webb was just a year old, she accidentally pulled down two scalding bowls of soup from her kitchen table. The resulting burns to her left hand, chin and chest required skin grafts and a three-week stay at BC Children’s Hospital.
While she doesn’t recall the accident, Monica clearly remembers the stares and comments about her scars as she was growing up in Chilliwack. She also remembers her shyness-induced hesitation to participate in Burn Camp or any of the BC Professional Fire Fighters’ Burn Fund programs for burn survivors.
But after numerous declined invitations, at age 13, she finally changed her mind. And she’s so glad she did.
“When I finally went [to Burn Camp], I wished I would’ve said yes much sooner,” she says. “Going to Burn Camp that first time and for the years after that changed my life. It allows you to forget that you are a burn survivor for a week and just have tons of fun and build connections with some really great people.”
Monica’s exposure to first responders at the camp planted a seed that has blossomed within her into adulthood. This summer, she will continue the legacy as a health-care worker herself—graduating from Vancouver Island University as a registered nurse.
“I can’t wait for a career in which I can give back and help people who need it the most,” she says. “Graduating nursing school would not have been possible without the emotional and financial support from the Burn Fund.”
A healthy dose of support
Scalds are the leading cause of burns for all toddlers, who account for 70 per cent of all scalds injuries. And each year, almost 700 children and adults from around BC are treated for burn injuries at the BC Professional Fire Fighters’ Burn, Trauma and High Acuity Unit at Vancouver General Hospital and at the BC Children’s Hospital.
Since 1978, the Burn Fund, established by the BC Professional Fire Fighters’ Association, has supported burn survivors throughout their recovery with programs like Burn Camp.
“It’s one of the oldest and most successful programs delivered by the Burn Fund,” says Jeff Sauvé, Burn Fund executive director. “The camp is held at the Cheakamus Centre near Squamish, where approximately 75 children come together for a safe, fun summer camp experience. Supported by an amazing volunteer team, including both firefighters and care professionals like nurses, social workers and counsellors, campers are provided the psychological and social support to best ensure future success at home, at school and in their community.”
Alongside the Burn Fund, VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation has worked since 1980 to ensure high-quality health-care services are available to every British Columbian by working together with donors to fund essential services and make them sustainable.
As Vancouver Coastal Health’s primary philanthropic partner, the VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation has provided over $1 billion in philanthropic funding for VGH, UBC Hospital and several critical health care centres, including GF Strong Rehabilitation Centre, the Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute and Vancouver Community Health Services.
Last year, VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation was able to fund the completion of 16 new state-of-the-art operating rooms and improvements to facilities and programs at VGH and UBC Hospital via its $60 million Future of Surgery campaign.
It’s also been focused on powering services at the cross-section of mental health and substance use by supporting the development of a Withdrawal Management Centre, which will open in 2025.
“This purpose-built facility will aggregate many of the substance use resources currently scattered across Metro Vancouver and put them under one roof,” says Angela Chapman, president and CEO of VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation. “These resources will provide clients and their families with an improved treatment and support system and lessen the chances of vulnerable people falling between the gaps.”
Meanwhile, the foundation’s Brain Breakthroughs Campaign is focused on providing funding for medical research into neuro-degenerative diseases, and patient care programs for conditions that include Alzheimer’s, dementia, Parkinson’s and multiple sclerosis. Donor funding has also enabled VGH to acquire a new 3T MRI machine, with construction on a renovated imaging suite currently underway.
But for Angela, another pressing area of concern is also becoming apparent.
“The single biggest challenge right now is in developing, attracting and retaining health-care professionals,” she says. “Our donors can play a vital role through funding fellowships, providing seed funding for research, and supporting nursing bursaries, all of which help our hospitals and health centres attract exceptionally skilled and qualified professionals.”
Both the Burn Fund and VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation are beneficiaries of the Hometown Heroes Lottery, which offers every British Columbian the opportunity to be a hero to those in need of critical medical care.
It’s a cause that is close to Sebastian Sevallo’s heart. The Vancouver firefighter, TV personality and professional home renovator has worked to promote the lottery for the past seven years, and has witnessed first-hand how so many people—including his colleagues—have benefitted from the services of health-care centres like GF Strong and the Burn Centre.
“I recently visited the Burn Centre on Main Street and 23rd Avenue in Vancouver,” says Sebastian, who, along with Karen Khunkhun is a spokesperson for the lottery. “Families that need treatment at VGH can stay there, and each suite is paid for by a different fire fighter local. My local, Vancouver Fire Fighters Local 18, paid for the kitchen, and it’s fantastic,” he adds. “It’s fully stocked with everything these families need, which is important, because when burn survivors are recovering, they need to eat three times what they normally would to sustain the healing process. Having that food available to them means they can focus on what’s really important.”
Welcome home
For Jas Sidhu, homebuilder and owner of Palermo Homes, getting involved in the Hometown Heroes Lottery was also a no-brainer.
“It’s a good cause, and it makes me happy to do something that does good for others,” he says.
This 3,700-square-foot lottery prize home, located in the award-winning Lakestone development in Lake Country, Okanagan, offers three bedrooms and three bathrooms, a big backyard and a lakeview lot with a mountain backdrop—the perfect place to make the most of all that BC has to offer.
Whether you like to watch the sunset over Lake Okanagan from the floor-to-ceiling living room windows, or to cozy up next to the large fireplace with a book and a beverage, this is a home that’s built for the good life. In the fully finished basement, you can wind down at the bar, get active in the rec room or relax with a movie in the media room. And upstairs is self-care central, with a master bedroom featuring a giant en suite with a huge shower and freestanding tub.
Outfitted with top-of-the-line finishings, the modern three-storey home also features custom millwork, high-end cabinetry, panel-ready appliances, gorgeous Caesarstone countertops, a beautiful glass staircase and Italian tile throughout. Palermo Homes is known for its high-quality craftsmanship and attention to every detail.
A ticket to the Hometown Heroes Lottery gets you a chance to win this home plus many others that you can choose from, and every purchase supports the BC Professional Fire Fighters’ Burn Fund as well as VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation.
“There’s a huge need for the funds this lottery raises,” Sebastian says, “and I hope that people are sympathetic and have a desire to help here at home.”
You can get your Hometown Heroes ticket at: heroeslottery.com.
你我皆是英雄
今年的家鄉英雄彩票(Hometown Heroes Lottery)是為支持溫哥華綜合醫院和卑詩大學醫院基金會(VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation)和卑詩專業消防員燒傷基金(BC Professional Fire Fighters’ Burn Fund)，為每個省民提供成為英雄的機會。
Monica Webb 一歲時，不小心從廚房的桌子上拉下了兩碗滾燙的湯，導致左手、下巴和胸部被燙傷 ，需要皮膚移植，並在卑詩兒童醫院住院三周。
雖然她已記不起那次意外，但卻清楚地記得，在 Chilliwack 的成長歲月中人們對她傷疤的注視和評論。她還記得，因害羞而猶豫是否參加燒傷營(Burn Camp)或卑詩專業消防員燒傷基金為燒傷倖存者組織的任何活動。
在多次拒絕邀請之後，13 歲的她終於改變了主意（她很高興自己做到了）。
「當我最終參加了燒傷營時，真希望自己能夠早點兒答應，」她說：「連續參加幾次燒傷營的活動改變了我的生活。在燒傷營那一周裡，我縱情玩樂，忘記了自己是位燒傷倖存者，并且結識一些真的很棒的人。」
在營地與前線救護人員接觸之後，Monica 的内心深處埋下了一顆種子，如今已開花結果。今年夏天，她終於實現自己成爲一名醫療保健工作者的願望——從溫哥華島大學畢業，成為一名註冊護士。
「我迫不及待地想成爲一名護士，回饋社會，幫助最有需要人，」她說：「如果沒有燒傷基金的情感支援和經濟支持，我是無法從護理專業畢業的。」
一劑充滿健康力量的處方
在所有的燒傷幼兒中，燙傷是主要原因，佔七成。 每年在溫哥華綜合醫院和卑詩兒童醫院的燒傷病房，有近 700 名來自全省各地的兒童和成人接受治療。
自 1978 年以來，由卑詩省專業消防員協會設立的燒傷基金(Burn Fund)，通過燒傷營等項目為燒傷倖存者的整個康復療程提供支持。
燒傷基金執行董事 Jeff Sauvé 說：「夏令營是燒傷基金提供最悠久、也最成功的項目之一，在 Squamish 附近的Cheakamus Centre 舉行，大約有 75 名兒童在這裡享受安全及有趣的夏令營體驗。我們還有一支由消防員、護士、社工和顧問等組成的志願隊伍，為參加者提供心理照顧和社會支持，確保他們於未來能在家庭、學校和社區中取得成功。」
除了燒傷基金，自 1980 年以來，溫哥華綜合醫院和卑詩大學醫院基金會還致力於通過與捐助者合作，為可持續的基本服務提供資金，確保每個卑詩省民都能獲得高質量的醫療保健服務。
作為溫哥華沿岸衛生局的主要慈善合作夥伴，基金會已為溫哥華綜合醫院、卑詩大學醫院和多個重要的醫療保健中心如GF Strong 康復中心、溫哥華沿岸衛生局研究所、溫哥華社區保健服務等提供了超過 10 億元的慈善資金，作為社區衛生服務之用。
去年，基金會通過其 6000 萬元的“Future of Surgery”活動，為溫哥華綜合醫院和卑詩大學醫院的 16 個嶄新手術室和增添最先進的設施提供了資金。
同時支持將於 2025 年啓用的 Withdrawal Management Centre 項目 ，專注於為心理健康和藥物使用的各個領域提供服務。
溫哥華綜合醫院和卑詩大學醫院基金會總裁兼行政總監 Angela Chapman 說：「這個專門設施將整合分散在大溫哥華地區的許多資源，為有需要人士及其家人提供更好的治療和支持，減少弱勢群體陷入困境的機會。」
與此同時，該基金會的 Brain Breakthroughs Campaign 專注於為神經退化性疾病的醫學研究，以及包括阿滋海默症、癡呆症、柏金遜症和多發性硬化症在內的患者護理計劃提供資金。捐助者的資金還使溫哥華綜合醫院新添一台全新的 3T MRI 儀器，與及支付目前正在進行的翻新工程。
但對於 Angela 來說，目前還面臨另一個緊迫的問題。
「目前最大的挑戰是培養、吸引和留住醫療保健專業人員，」她接著說道：「我們的捐助者可以通過資助研究經費、為研究提供種子資金和支持護理助學金來發揮至關重要的作用，所有這些都有助於我們的醫院和保健中心能吸引技術精湛且符合資格的專業人士。」
燒傷基金和溫哥華綜合醫院和卑詩大學醫院基金會都是家鄉英雄彩票的受益者，該彩票為每個卑詩省民提供了成為英雄的機會，幫助那些需要緊急醫療護理的人士。
對此，溫哥華消防員、電視名人和專業家庭裝修師 Sebastian Sevallo 深有同感。過去七年，他一直致力於推廣彩票，並親眼目睹包括他的同事在内的許多人獲益於 GF Strong 保健中心、Burn Centre等醫療保健中心的服務。
Sebastian 說：「我最近參觀了位於溫哥華 Main 街和 23 街之間的 Burn Centre， 為那些在溫哥華綜合醫院接受治療的家庭提供居所，每間套房都由本地不同的消防隊支付費用。 溫哥華消防局 Local 18 支付了廚房的一應所需，這太棒了。」他補充道：「那裡提供這些家庭所需的一切，這至為重要，燒傷倖存者需要吃三倍於正常水平的食物，維持癒合過程中的所需營養。為康復者提供食物意味著他們可以專注於痊愈。」
歡迎回家
對於房屋建築商和 Palermo Homes 的老闆 Jas Sidhu 來說，參與家鄉英雄彩票項目義不容辭。他說：「這很有意義，做一些對他人有益的事情讓我很快樂。」
這座佔地 3,700 平方呎的彩票頭獎之家位於奧肯那根 Lake Country，屬於屢獲殊榮的 Lakestone 開發的項目，提供三間臥室和三間浴室、一個大後院和一個以崇山為背景的湖景地段的住宅——卑詩省最美好的自然環境儘在其中。
無論您喜歡從客廳的落地窗欣賞奧肯那根湖的日落，還是喜歡在大壁爐旁享受一本書和一杯飲料，這個家處處可以感受到生活之美好。在完全竣工的地下室，您可以在酒吧、娛樂室或媒體室放鬆身心。樓上是自助保健中心，主臥室設有帶巨大淋浴間和獨立浴缸的巨型套間浴室。
現代化的三層住宅配備了頂級裝飾，還配備訂製木製品、高端櫥櫃、裝有面板的雪櫃、華麗的凱撒石英枱面、漂亮的玻璃樓梯和意大利瓷磚等。Palermo Homes 一向以其高品質的工藝和對細節的關注而聞名。
購買家鄉英雄彩票讓您有機會贏得這個美麗居所或其他多個選項，並支持著卑詩專業消防員燒傷基金及溫哥華綜合醫院和卑詩大學醫院基金會。
Sebastian 說：「這次彩票籌集的資金非常重要，我希望人們慷慨解囊，盡力提供幫助。」
購買家鄉英雄彩票，請前往 heroeslottery.com 。
Every body can move