Very Important Patients

Name: STARS
Price range: $

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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.

Two skiers stand on a snowy mountain slope wearing winter gear and helmets, with snow-covered evergreen trees visible on the right and a scenic valley landscape in the background.

Hudson Blough

When Hudson Blough hit a tree headfirst at Banff Sunshine Ski Village, ski patrollers called STARS. A STARS transport physician already at the hill intubated Hudson before the helicopter arrived. Hudson survived and made a full recovery, crediting collaboration, teamwork, and skill for his positive outcome.

Person wearing glasses and patterned cardigan standing in a vast green field with a utility vehicle in the background under a blue sky.

Cindi Long

Cindi Long doesn't know what caused her side-by-side to flip while she was carrying a newborn calf to its mom, but when she found herself pinned under the off-road vehicle's roll cage, in searing pain and unable to feel her legs, she knew she needed STARS — even before other help suddenly arrived from the air.

Person in black shirt sitting in front of red fire truck with white lettering and stripes

Dawson Mollenbeck

Following a workplace explosion, Dawson Mollenbeck suffered severe traumatic injuries to his arm, head, and spine. STARS was dispatched, providing critical care en route from his local rural hospital to a trauma centre in the city.

Young child in gray jacket and black gloves holding a hockey stick on an ice rink, smiling at the camera with a red goal and boards visible in the background.

Beckham Koscielny

When Beckham Koscielny was only six weeks old, he became a STARS Very Important Patient after falling seriously ill due to a heart condition. With the aid of STARS’ critical care team, he was transported from his rural community to a major hospital.

Person in blue hoodie sitting on olive green couch holding a prosthetic hand, with window and shelving visible in bright interior room

Zach MacDonald

In November 2010, Zach MacDonald fell critically ill just after his second birthday. What began as a fever quickly escalated to a life-threatening condition, requiring rapid transport by STARS. Diagnosed with a serious infection, Zach spent seven days in intensive care.

Family of four posing together on a purple couch in a playroom filled with toys, shelves, and storage containers in the background.

Shalyn Huehn

In 2011, Shalyn’s life was forever changed by a head-on collision. Her car was so severely damaged that it took two hours for her to be freed from the wreckage. Today, Shalyn lives an active lifestyle with her family.

Person wearing glasses and a gray "Wolves" hoodie standing indoors by a railing, smiling at the camera with a bright, modern building interior in the background.

Marie Somerville

Marie Somerville was an aspiring barrel racer, spending countless hours practising and competing. One day when practising for competition, her horse fell, leading her to severe whiplash and trauma to her brainstem and spinal cord. STARS was dispatched to provide critical care and take her to the nearest major hospital.

Person wearing glasses and a red patterned dress standing in front of large windows with a cityscape view in the background.

Brynleigh Yewsuk

When she was only three years old, Brynleigh suffered severe head trauma after a piece of farm equipment fell on her. The STARS crew cared for her en route to a major hospital, where she received the life-saving treatment she needed.

Person in dark jacket standing in front of red aircraft with "STARS" visible on fuselage, with propeller and hangar setting in background.

Owen Ashworth

Since 2013, STARS has been called into Owen’s life twice. The first time was just before he started his final year of high school when he suffered a brain injury in a motorbike accident. The second time was in 2021 when he sustained another brain injury in a collision with a semi-truck.

Person in black hoodie and jeans standing among dried golden grasses with bare trees in the background during autumn or winter season.

Ryan Herchuk

At 12, Ryan Herchuk was hit by a vehicle while riding an all-terrain vehicle. By chance, an off-duty STARS flight paramedic came upon the accident scene. STARS transported Ryan to the University of Alberta Hospital, where he recovered after being in a coma for two months.

Family of four standing at a wooden fence with a brown horse behind them in a rural setting with bare trees and fields in the background.

Maureen Schnirer

After a rural motor vehicle incident left Maureen Schnirer critically injured, STARS transported her to an urban centre for life-saving surgery. She has fully recovered, married her longtime partner Ken, and built a life on a ranch, raising two kids.

Three people in winter clothing standing by a snowy wooden fence with birch trees in the background

Esther and Kaycee Stern

At the time of her accident, Esther Stern was 36 weeks pregnant with her daughter Kaycee. As she came to, Esther’s water broke and she and baby Kaycee were in critical need of medical attention.

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Very Important Patients