Ross Memorial Hospital - Foundation

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Email: foundation@rmh.org

Reconnecting with Alana Murray: A CT Success Story

Alana  Murray 2020 landscape content images

December 22, 2020 - It was donors that helped the Ross Memorial purchase its first CT Scanner 20 years ago. And it’s second CT Scanner 10 years ago.

Alana Murray’s family remembers that time vividly.

Alana’s hair-raising health story was featured in the RMH Foundation’s 2010 spring appeal letter. It was her family’s profound gratitude for the exceptional care she received that inspired them to share their tale and help others.

It is thanks to a CT scan and quick action by the Ross team that Alana is alive and well today.

She was 16 when she required knee surgery due to a sports injury. The surgery went well; however, three days later Alana had a seizure. Her parents rushed her back to the hospital where she had a CT scan.

The test showed what was either a tumour or an arterial venous malformation (AVM). Alana was transferred immediately to the Hospital for Sick Children, where one of the top paediatric neurosurgeons in Ontario confirmed that Alana had an AVM in her brain.

An AVM is a congenital, tangled knot of veins and arteries which affects both the blood flow and pressure. In Alana’s case, it was the size of a loonie. The stress of surgery had aggravated the AVM and caused the seizure. Usually, people don’t know they have an AVM until it ruptures, causing a bleed on the brain that can be fatal if not treated immediately. Alana was lucky.

And with the help of advanced CT and MRI technology to guide surgeons at Toronto Western Hospital, the AVM was successfully removed – on what would have been Alana’s first day of grade 12.

Today, Alana is 28 years old and loving her career as a Rehabilitation Assistant at a hospital in Newfoundland. She says it’s the time she spent in rehabilitation herself that sparked her interest in this kind of work. Her experiences help her connect with patients.

When asked about her health scare, Alana says that sometimes it feels like it happened not that long ago and sometimes it feels like a different lifetime. What doesn’t change is Alana’s appreciation for the imaging technology that saved her life.

“It’s life changing. That piece of equipment turned on a lightbulb to me. People can take medical equipment for granted sometimes. I know exactly how important it is. Doctors monitored my condition for five years after my brain surgery, but now I have no restrictions. I can just go on with my life.”

Exactly ten years after her life-saving surgery, Alana was on the ocean, kayaking with friends. It wasn’t until later that she realized the significance of the date and contemplated how much had changed in ten years.

Like her family, Alana believes in helping others. When she heard that the RMH Foundation is fundraising to buy a new CT Scanner for the community, she was quick to offer her help – even from Newfoundland. Alana hopes that she can shine a light on this important need and by inspiring support, save even more lives at her hometown hospital.     

Alana's parents, Catherine Miller Murray and Doug Murray have generously donated $1,000 to the Brighter Tomorrows holiday appeal. So have Alana's aunt and uncle, Diane Miller and Mike Bibeau. They know that CT imaging made all the difference for Alana, and they want to give more patients their best chance for brighter tomorrows.

You can, too. Make a donation online.