Very Important Patients

Name: STARS
Price range: $

Collage of black and white photographs showing various people in different settings including workspaces, casual environments, and portrait shots

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.

Person in black dress shaking hands with person in motorized wheelchair outside building with "STARS" sign, while three people in blue uniforms stand nearby.

Jason Lunn

Daddy-daughter dances are special for most families, but there wasn’t a dry eye at graduation when Jason and his daughter Cadence took the floor.

Woman in black shirt and jeans standing confidently in front of red air ambulance helicopters against blue sky

Victoria Adriaansen

Seriously injured in a rural motor vehicle accident, Victoria Adriaansen's best hope lay in a flight to a critical care centre in Winnipeg.

Person in white shirt with gold necklace standing in front of red emergency vehicle with windows visible in background

Bonnie Fortin

Moments after Bonnie Fortin met her fourth son, Emery in August 2013, her health went downhill rapidly. A scheduled C-section had led to profuse bleeding.

Person wearing a cowboy hat and blue shirt playing acoustic guitar outdoors under a tree, with a red barn in the background

Wes Reed

While Wes Reed was working around his house, he climbed up on a ladder, one which he admits he never should have. Seconds later, the ladder bent, and Wes toppled to the ground.

Smiling person in light blue button-up shirt standing in front of red vehicle with "STARS" text visible in background

Chad Rogers

When Chad was run over by a tractor and 907-kg baler, the closest hospital didn’t have the specialized tools needed to save his life. And because he was working in a rural location, time wasn’t on his side either.

Person with long dark hair wearing a red jacket, smiling at the camera in front of blurred red machinery or equipment

Michelle Salt

On June 27, 2011, Michelle’s enjoyment of a summer evening ride with friends came to an abrupt halt when she lost control of her motorbike and hit a guardrail going up the Cochrane Hill.

Portrait of a smiling person with long brown hair wearing a black short-sleeved shirt against a neutral gray background

Jenn Oakes

One moment, Jenn was enjoying a beautiful summer day of boating. The next, she was tossed from the boat into the lake, fighting for her life. Jenn’s life changed forever in that instant, but thanks to STARS allies, she was given a second chance.

Man in red checkered shirt and cap standing in hangar with red helicopter in background

Clayton Orr

This STARS Very Important Patient remembers the evening everything changed for him — and the numerous people along the way who worked to ensure he lived to tell about it.

Bald person on green and white motorcycle posing next to red helicopter on desert airstrip under clear sky

Adair O’Grady

Adair O'Grady enjoyed the first day of seeding with his dad for the past 30 years. It’s one of the most exciting times on the farm. But last spring, that excitement quickly turned to their worst nightmare.

Woman holding two young children in burgundy outfits, standing in front of a red fire truck, all smiling at the camera

Peggy Benko

Peggy Benko was busy working in her office when she suddenly collapsed. An ambulance rushed her to the hospital. She’d had a ruptured brain aneurysm and needed immediate surgery, but the nearest availability was a three-hour drive away.

Person wearing glasses and hoop earrings smiling at camera, with wavy brown hair and black top, blurred background with red and blue elements

Carrie Derin

In summer 2012, Carrie Derin was quadding with her family in southeast Saskatchewan. An unexpected hazard in the road lead to a serious injury, requiring a quick response by STARS.

Person in olive jacket and gray hoodie sitting in front of red bus with "STARS" text visible on the side

Chris Cardiff

After a dirt biking accident in Saskatchewan in 2018, STARS VIP Chris Cardiff was placed on the onboard STARS ventilator and taken to hospital.

STARS Shop

Very Important Patients