Woman seriously injured by fallen tree now raising money for Victoria hospital equipment

A year and a half after a tree crashed down on a Langford woman’s home, she’s lending her voice to a campaign raising money for new imaging technology in Greater Victoria hospitals.

Ann Bailey was inside her mobile home on April 5, 2022 when the tree crashed onto her house and her neighbour's.

Langford Fire Rescue said its members heard her faint reply saying she was inside and they found her still sitting in her chair, trapped under tree branches and debris from her home.

“I don’t remember too much,” says Bailey. “In the ICU they called for my family to come because they didn’t think I was going to make it. But I did. And knowing how stubborn I can be, I was determined obviously,” she says.

Bailey says she remembers waking up in the intensive care unit at Victoria General Hospital, and was shocked to learn she had been there for about a month.

“I had a broken pelvis and seven cracked ribs. So it was quite an injury, I received,” she says. “I had MRIs done which of course will find out what’s going on with a person.”

The 85-year-old says her medical diagnostics included CT scans to inform her recovery as well.

Bailey says the care she received has inspired her to share her story publicly as the Victoria Hospitals Foundation runs a campaign to replace and upgrade the technology in South Island hospitals.

“I am so excited to share that we are at $2 million of this $11-million campaign,” says VHF’s associate director of philanthropy, Colleen Bronson. “That’s incredible. It’s a true community effort."

The Imaging is Power campaign is raising money to fund six key pieces of equipment: two new MRIs at Victoria General Hospital, one MRI at Royal Jubilee Hospital, a CT Scanner for VGH, and a SPECT-CT scanner and C-Arm for RJH.

“Some folks can see themselves in our spokespeople and their situations and that can help inspire them to give,” says Bronson.

Bailey is committed to being a part of it.

“It was wonderful. The care that I got, my goodness me,” says Bailey.

Next she’s waiting on the final repairs to her home, keen to move back at the end of the month.

“And one thing I know that I’m going to be really happy about is seeing my cat,” she says.