Cheers and tears of relief welcome the arrival of staff and medical supplies.
(Photo) Sunshine welcomes Christine Tucciarone and the team on their journey to provide respite to peers and patients in Hope.
It was all hands on deck to provide care to the residents and patients in Fraser Canyon Hospital and Fraser Hope Lodge after extreme flooding and mudslides damaged infrastructure cutting off access to the rural community.
The teams’ compassion and collaboration helped them “keep calm and carry on” through rapidly changing conditions. Unable to return to their homes in Chilliwack, Rachael Kampen and Marlana Peters picked up extra hours and longer shifts to attend to patients and residents in the community. Health care workers and residents of Hope, Crystal Peters and Krystal Limb, opened their homes and provided essential items to displaced staff.
After being cut off from the rest of B.C. – staff and the community of Hope received a welcomed relief. On the morning of Wednesday, November 19, help arrived through the assistance of the B.C. Wildfire Choppers Crew. The team was met with emotion and gratitude as they delivered not only staff and supplies, but hope for the community of Hope.
A special kudos to Mary Doss and Christine Tucciarone, who were among those that volunteered to be flown out to provide a respite for health care colleagues in Hope. In addition, Hope Search and Rescue dedicated their time to shuttling staff and supplies to and from the hospital and Hope Airport.
Thank you to our resilient and dedicated teams in Chilliwack and Hope for going above and beyond to provide exceptional care for patients, families and communities impacted by the extreme weather conditions.