The media contact for St. Paul's Hospital Foundation is Anne McLaughlin 604-806-8917 or e-mail amclaughlin@providencehealth.bc.ca
Media releases
1) Innovative New Cardiac Operating Room Opens at St. Paul's Hospital
(January 16, 2008)
2) New addiction research chair receives $2.25 million
(December 13, 2007)
3) The 2007 Lights of Hope display "goes live" November 16
(November 15, 2007)
4) St. Paul's Hospital Foundation and Simon Fraser University to establish the first Canadian chair in cardiovascular prevention research (October 16, 2007)
5) St. Paul's fundraising dinner a resounding success
(September 18, 2007)
6) St. Paul's Hospital light campaign raises more than $2.3 million
(January 12, 2007)
7) Fireworks to herald the lighting of St. Paul's Lights of Hope Thursday at 6:55 pm
(November 23, 2006)
8) St. Paul’s Hospital Foundation announces new officers and directors
(October 17, 2006)
9) BC's TB Vets helps fund ventilator for St. Paul's Intensive Care Unit
(February 14, 2006)
10) St. Paul's Hospital light campaign exceeds $1.5 million goal
(January 16, 2006)
11) St. Paul's on-line auction a charitable
way to shop for unusual gifts
(November 30, 2005)
12) It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas:
St. Paul’s Hospital’s Lights of Hope to illuminate at 6:55 pm
(November 24, 2005)
13) Record $1.41 million raised during 2004
Lights of Hope (January
12, 2005)
14) St. Paul's Hospital's Christmas
display to light up in glow of fireworks (November
30, 2004)
15) St. Paul's Hospital
needs help to create a new high-tech operating room
(June
3, 2004)
16) Christmas lights net record $1.2
million for St. Paul's Hospital
(January 12,
2004)
17)
Ship-in-a-Bottle Heart Surgery to Save Lives
and Dollars (Aug. 13, 2003)
1) Media Release - January 16, 2008
Innovative New Cardiac Operating Room Opens at St. Paul's Hospital
Press release can be found here.
2) Media Release - December 13, 2007
New addiction research chair receives $2.25 million
Press release can be found here.
3) Media Release - November 15, 2007
The 2007 Lights of Hope display "goes live" November 16
Backgrounder: St. Paul’s Hospital Foundation’s Lights of Hope Campaign
The 2007 Lights of Hope display will light up for the first time Friday, November 16 at 6:50 pm. The lighting will heralded by fireworks and the cheers of more than 400 guests expected to gather across the road from St. Paul’s Hospital at Helmcken and Burrard.
This year is the 10th anniversary of St. Paul’s Hospital Foundation’s Lights of Hope Fundraising Campaign and the goal is $2.1 million. In honour of this milestone, a larger firework display is planned as well as some special elements for the display, including a 10-year banner made of lights and the introduction of lights in every colour of the spectrum. If stretched end-to-end, the countless lights that make up the display would reach all the way around the Stanley Park Seawall.
This year’s display contains more than 400 stars recognizing the company and family names of donors who have contributed to the Lights of Hope fundraising campaign. Over the years, the Lights of Hope Campaign has helped to raise more than $8 million for equipment, research and patient care at St. Paul’s Hospital. Lovingly created by volunteers using donated products, the display itself has more than tripled in size since its inception in 1998.
There’s still time to make your own donation to the Lights of Hope campaign by calling 604-662-HOPE or by visiting www.helpstpauls.com
Major contributors
The platinum sponsors for the Lights of Hope 2007 fundraising campaign are: Aly B. Mawji & Family; Scotiabank and Teck Cominco. The display itself would not be possible without the dedication of the following people and companies who donate their expertise or products to build it each year. Many have been involved with this important campaign for nine years or more. They are:
St. Paul’s Hospital Foundation’s Volunteer Lights of Hope Logistics Committee
Stuart Olson Construction
Sasco Systems Ltd.
The Electrical Contractors Association of BC
The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers local 213 & 258
Stantec Architecture Ltd.
BL Innovative Lighting
BC Hydro Power Smart
Bogdonov Lerer Engineering Inc.
Westburne Electric Supply BC
Production Equipment Rentals and Sales
The BCIT Electrical Trades Students
Dave McIndoe and the electrical staff of St. Paul’s Hospital
4) Media Release - October 16, 2007
St. Paul's Hospital Foundation and Simon Fraser University to establish the first Canadian chair in cardiovascular prevention research
Press release can be found here.
5) Media Release - January 12, 2007
St. Paul’s fundraising dinner a resounding success
St. Paul’s Hospital Foundation’s third Lights of Hope Fundraising Dinner raised more than $600,000 for innovative equipment for the hospital’s Nuclear Medicine department.
About 700 people gathered in the Westin Bayshore Hotel recently to enjoy dinner and entertainment in support of the Foundation. By the end of the evening, St. Paul’s had received a record $618,638 toward its goal of $760,000 to purchase gamma camera/CT scanners, which are used to provide special tests for heart disease, cancer and bone abnormalities.
St. Paul’s is the only hospital in B.C to have these special gamma camera/CT scanners, which combine two different types of technology to provide detailed diagnostic images. Having the dual technologies in one machine also means that many patients can be diagnosed with one test instead of two separate tests.
The event was made possible by co-chairs Anita Law and Carson Wu supported by the enthusiastic Fundraising Committee: Joann Wong Bittle, Belinda Chow, Emily Fung, Lynda Larouche, Geraldine Lui, Beatrice Tao, Lisa Ng and Amy Yu
6) Media Release - January 12, 2007
St. Paul's Hospital light campaign raises more than $2.3 million
Support from the community enabled St. Paul's Hospital Foundation to raise more than $2 million during the recent Lights of Hope campaign. By the time the donated light display was turned off for the last time January 5, the fundraising total had reached a record $2,329,092.
The distinctive display that graces the front of the hospital each year is built by volunteers using donated products notes Foundation executive director Jane Adams.
"This important gift means that the money we receive during the Lights of Hope fundraising campaign can be used inside the hospital," she says. "In 2006, our generous community and corporate donors contributed more than ever. We thank them for their support and look forward with anticipation to Lights of Hope 2007, our 10th anniversary for this special campaign."
Presenting sponsors for 2006 were the Cardiac Surgeons, Ali Mawji & Family and Scotiabank.
Planning is already underway for the landmark 10th anniversary Lights of Hope 2007 campaign. If you or your company would like to take part, please call 604-682-8206 or visit www.helpstpauls.com
7) Media Release - November 23, 2006
Fireworks to herald the lighting of St. Paul's Lights of Hope Thursday at 6:55 pm
Wintry Burrard Street will get a welcome burst of light tonight at 6:55 pm when the fireworks go off and the Lights of Hope display outside St. Paul's Hospital is illuminated for the first time this season. About 300 guests are expected to gather at Burrard and Helmcken for the lighting ceremony.
Each year, more than 100 volunteers gather in early November to build the display using donated products. As a result, donors' financial support for the Lights of Hope campaign helps St. Paul's Hospital Foundation purchase equipment, support research and enhance patient care at Vancouver's downtown teaching hospital.
Thanks to the support of our volunteers and donors, the Lights of Hope campaign has raised more than $6 million over the years.
Foundation Executive Director Jane Adams explains that this year's goal is $1.8 million: "The light display is a tribute to the community's appreciation for the work that happens year round at St. Paul's," she said. "A big thank you to everyone who has made a donation so far and thank you in advance to the many generous people who do so when they see the beautiful lights go on for another season."
This year's campaign will help to buy equipment and information technology for the hospital's busy Emergency department and create a new Advanced Cardiac Imaging Operating Room in the Heart Centre.
To find out more about Lights of Hope or to make a donation, call 604-662-HOPE or visit www.helpstpauls.com. The display will be illuminated until January 5.
8) Media Release - October 17, 2006
St. Paul's Hospital Foundation announces new officers and directors
Hari Varshney, president Varshney Capital Corp., has been appointed chair of St. Paul's Hospital Foundation. Paul Hollands, president & CEO, A&W Food Services of Canada Inc., is now vice-chair.
Newly appointed directors of the Foundation are: Dean Alexander (Cypress Capital Management Ltd.); Frank Anfield: Orla Cousineau (Mercer Human Resource Consulting Ltd.); Dianne Doyle (Providence Health Care); Dave Gadhia (Gateway Casinos Inc.) and Doug Horswill (Teck Cominco Ltd.).
The board is completed by: Jane Adams (St. Paul's Hospital Foundation); Clifford Chan-Yan (Providence Health Care); John Jennings (CIBC Commercial Banking); Don Goedbloed (Stuart Olson Construction); Alice Laberge; Yvonne Lefebvre (Providence Health Care); Henry Man (Magellen Developments 20/20 Inc.); Joanne McLeod; Chris Oosthuizen (RBC Dominion Securities Inc.); and Angela White (St. Paul's Hospital Auxiliary).
St. Paul's Hospital Foundation raises funds to purchase equipment, support research and improve care at St. Paul's Hospital. Part of Providence Health Care, St. Paul's is a major teaching hospital that provides specialized services for patients from across the province. Services that serve British Columbians referred from communities across B.C. include the provincial Heart Centre, the kidney program and the B.C. Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS.
9) Media Release - February 14, 2006
BC's TB Vets helps fund ventilator for St. Paul's Intensive Care Unit
TB Vets Charitable Foundation has provided $25,000 to assist with the purchase of a ventilator for St. Paul's Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit.
"This equipment is vital as the hospital has recently opened an additional four beds in our busy Intensive Care Unit (ICU)," said Jane Adams, executive director of St. Paul's Hospital Foundation. "We are very grateful for this generous gift and for the longstanding support we have received from TB Vets over the years."
The St. Paul's ICU team cares for critically ill patients referred from communities across the province. The majority of patients in the ICU would not survive without ventilators to help them breathe while they are receiving intensive treatment for their illness or injuries.
TB Vets mails more than half a million individually numbered keytags to BC residents each year. Donations to the keytag program allow TB Vets to provide grants to BC medical facilities for the purchase of equipment needed in the treatment of respiratory diseases. TB Vets also funds research to find a cure for tuberculosis, supports employment for people with disabilities, and offers the comfort of a therapeutic Spinoza Bear to BC children suffering from respiratory illnesses.
TB Vets has helped to support respiratory care at St. Paul's for more than 25 years. Last year, St. Paul's Hospital Foundation received a grant that helped the hospital's newly created Pacific Lung Health Centre purchase state-of-the-art lung function testing equipment.
"St. Paul's Hospital provides a wide variety of specialized and one-of-a-kind respiratory services for people from throughout BC," Adams said. "Our foundation is grateful that there are organizations like BC's TB Vets who recognize the importance of respiratory health services and work hard to help BC hospitals care for patients with acute and chronic lung problems."
In 1946 World War veterans set up the keytag program as a means of creating employment for the many veterans who returned from overseas service with tuberculosis or other respiratory ailments. Lost keys carrying the TB Vets keytag can be dropped in any mailbox. Canada Post then returns those keys to TB Vets, who matches the number on the keytag with the rightful owner and returns the keys.
Since the keytag program began, BC's TB Vets has returned almost 200,000 sets of lost keys to their grateful owners. Your generous donations have enabled TB Vets to donate almost $10 million to help people with respiratory problems and to continue research into a cure for tuberculosis. Thank you.
10) Media Release - January 16, 2006
St. Paul's Hospital light campaign exceeds $1.5 million goal
St. Paul's Hospital Foundation raised $1,531,376 during the recent 2005 Lights of Hope Christmas light fundraising campaign. The Foundation would like to thank the many generous people and companies who made this success possible. In all, more than 7,000 thousand supporters contributed money, products or volunteer time to this year's campaign.
"This is our eighth and best year yet for this wonderful campaign," says Foundation Executive Director Jane Adams. "The light display is a visible sign of the community's support for our hospital and a labour of love for the hundreds of volunteers who give their time to construct it."
The proceeds will be used to fund special initiatives in the hospital's Emergency Department and Heart Centre, including state-of-the-art equipment and information technology.
A festive tradition since 1998, the Lights of Hope display is made possible by sponsors and volunteers. Presenting sponsors for 2005 were Varshney Capital Corp and the Cardiologists and Cardiovascular Surgeons of St. Paul's Hospital.
Part of Providence Health Care, St. Paul's Hospital serves people who live and work in downtown Vancouver as well as providing specialized services like cardiac, renal and HIV/AIDS for all British Columbians.
Planning is already underway for Lights of Hope 2006. If you or your company would like to take part, please call 604-682-8206 or e-mail jnorris@providencehealth.bc.ca
11) Media Release - November 30,
2005
St. Paul's on-line auction a charitable way to shop for unusual gifts
St. Paul's Hospital Foundation's Things Money Can't Buy™ on-line auction has more than 30 gift ideas for the people on your list who hate fruitcake and prefer to choose their own cologne. Selections include exotic vacations, one-of-a-kind gourmet food experiences and the opportunity to meet local celebrities.
Better still, your winning bid for one of the packages will also help St. Paul's Hospital, as all packages are donated. Visit www.thingsmoneycantbuy.com to look at the entire selection. You can place your bids from December 8 to 7:00 pm December 15.
Packages for 2005 auction include:
Canuck Fan's Dream - Go behind the scenes at a Canucks game with
three friends and join the game presentation team in the press box.
A Day in the Life of Rob Feenie - Spend the day with this famous chef and watch him filming his new reality TV show.
Business Class to Bordeaux – Spend three nights in Paris and then on to Bordeaux for a three- night stay and a private wine tour of the legendary vineyards.
Hollywood Hound - Is your dog movie star material? Your canine companion will be pampered and prepped for Hollywood.
1989 Chateau Margaux - Bid on this very rare three-litre bottle of 1989 vintage.
Intimate Aquarium Experience - Meet the Steller sea lions at the Vancouver Aquarium and take your family on a behind-the-scenes tour to help at feeding time.
Evening Extraordinaire - Enjoy dinner for six in your home prepared by John Bishop of Bishop's Restaurant, with accompanying music by Dal Richards and his trio.
12) Media Release - November 24, 2005
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas: St. Paul's Hospital's Lights of Hope to illuminate at 6:55 pm
When the fireworks begin outside St. Paul's Hospital at 6:55 this evening, more than 400 cheering spectators will get the first look at the hospital's largest Christmas light display ever.
The popular Lights of Hope display is part of the largest annual fundraising campaign for St. Paul's Hospital Foundation. Fundraising priorities for this year's campaign include special initiatives in the hospital's Heart Centre and Emergency department.
"Our lights are a tribute to the thousands of individuals and companies who recognize the importance of St. Paul's Hospital and donate their time or money to the Lights of Hope campaign," said Foundation Chair John Jennings. "This year we are asking people or companies to give generously to help raise more than $1.5 million."
The presenting sponsors for this year's campaign are Varshney Capital Corp. and the Cardiologists and Cardiovascular Surgeons of St. Paul's Hospital. The display itself is built on charity, as more than 200 volunteers construct it using donated products.
This year, there are enough lights to stretch around the Stanley Park seawall, and a new star canopy frames the Burrard Street entrance. In total, the display for 2005 will have a record 475 stars.
For the first time, this year's Lights of Hope will also spotlight the innovative Power Smart tree by Canadian Tire and BC Hydro. Featuring 90 strings of energy efficient LED lights, the tree will be powered by a Renewable Power System made up of five solar panels, a power inverter and deep cycle batteries.
To find out more about Lights of Hope or to make a donation, call 604-662-HOPE or visit www.helpstpauls.com. The display will be illuminated until January 5.
13) Media Release - January
12, 2005
Record $1.41 million raised during 2004 Lights of Hope
Thanks in part to more than 400 individuals and companies that contributed a record $1.41 million during the recent Lights of Hope fundraising campaign, St. Paul's Hospital will soon gain a new Cardiac Procedure Room.
"I am very proud of all of our donors and volunteers from across the province who made this record result possible," said Lights of Hope Chair Hari Varshney. "Although the hospital's needs pale beside the immense requirement for tsunami relief in Asia, we are very fortunate that British Columbians are so generous."
The Cardiac Procedure Room is a gift from the community that will benefit BC patients for years to come. When the $2.9 million room is up and running later this year, it will allow many patients to be treated sooner, and, in some cases, shorten their stay in hospital. Specialists at St. Paul's Hospital will be able to perform 200 more electrophysiology (heart rhythm) procedures and an additional 250 cardiac catheterization procedures each year. The new room will also free up 270 hours of operating room time that can be used to reduce wait times for a variety of surgeries.
The Lights of Hope display is made possible entirely by sponsors and volunteers. Presenting sponsors for 2004 are Varshney Capital Corp., the Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation of Canada and National Bank Financial.
Part of Providence Health Care, St. Paul's Hospital serves people who live and work in downtown Vancouver as well as providing specialized services like cardiac, renal, diabetes and HIV/AIDS for all British Columbians.
Planning is already underway for Lights of Hope 2005. If you or your company would like to take part, please call 604-682-8206 or e-mail jnorris@providencehealth.bc.ca
14) Media Release - November 30,
2004
St. Paul’s Hospital's Christmas display to light up in glow
of fireworks
A firework display and the cheers of about 600 supporters will herald the lighting of the St. Paul's Hospital's Lights of Hope display at 6:55 pm this evening.
A fundraiser for St. Paul's Hospital Foundation, this year's display contains more than 8 kms of lights and 250 stars at the hospital's Burrard Street entrance. New this year, is a Christmas tree feature on the hospital's south tower, the left side of the large display
"Lights of Hope is really the community's gift to St. Paul's," said Foundation Chair John Jennings. "The display is built by volunteers using donated products. Even before the lights go on, it's a tremendous stimulus for people to give to the hospital. This year, we hope to raise $1.25 million, and we still need $250,000 to reach our goal."
One of the hospital's major needs for this year is a new Cardiac Procedure Room in the Heart Centre. Funds raised during Lights of Hope will help to purchase equipment for the new room.
Presenting sponsors for Lights of Hope 2004 are Varshney Capital Corp, the Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation of Canada and National Bank Financial.
To find out more about Lights of Hope or to make a donation, call 604-682-8206 or visit www.helpstpauls.com. The display will be illuminated until January 5.
15) Media Release - June 3, 2004
St. Paul's Hospital needs help to create a new high-tech operating room
St. Paul's Hospital Foundation Director Carson Wu is launching a campaign to raise the funds required to create a high-tech operating suite for patients who require minimally invasive surgery at St. Paul's.
"I am very excited to help raise funds so that St. Paul's can create a specialized Laparoscopic Surgery Suite for minimally invasive surgery," says Mr. Wu. "This suite will not only contain high tech equipment for surgeons who care for patients from all over the province, but also create the best possible environment for teaching, research and international consultation."
"St. Paul's is a teaching hospital with an world-class surgery program and a long tradition of providing innovative and compassionate care for people from all over BC. You or your family may rely on the hospital one day – services like the Heart Centre, kidney program and highly specialized surgeries are not available at your local hospital."
A chartered accountant and a partner with Deloitte and Touche, Mr. Wu has been actively involved in professional, business and community affairs for more than 25 years, joining the board of St. Paul's Hospital Foundation in 2002. His community service has included board memberships in SUCCESS and the Goh Ballet of Vancouver.
Mr. Wu is joining with St. Paul's Hospital surgeon Dr. Chris Baliski
to let the community know about the benefits of the suite and to ask
for help in raising the $500,000 still needed to make the $1.2 million
suite a reality.
"Minimally invasive or "keyhole" surgery is a tremendous advantage
for patients, as it often results in less pain, a shorter hospital stay and a
speedier recovery than if we performed the same procedure using the traditional
open surgery techniques," explains Dr. Baliski, a specialist in endocrine
and cancer surgery.
"The exciting thing is that we are continually developing the ability to do other kinds of surgeries using laparoscopy and more and more patients will benefit as we move forward," he says. As a centre of excellence in surgery, St. Paul's will also put the suite’s real time video conferencing to good use to send live views of the procedure to video links inside and outside the hospital for teaching and consultation purposes."
Dr. Baliski added minimally invasive or laparoscopic surgery is becoming an option for more and more abdominal surgical procedures, including colorectal cancer surgery, adrenal grand removal, hernia repairs, gall bladder removal, kidney stone procedures, kidney transplants, ovarian cyst surgery and hysterectomy.
Mr Wu is excited to lead the fundraising campaign for the Laparoscopic Surgery Suite. "We still need $500,000 to make this happen and we are asking for your help. Every contribution counts."
Please call the Foundation at 604-682-8206 to find out how you can make a donation or send a cheque to LSS Appeal, Suite 178, 1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6.
16) Media release - January 12, 2004
Christmas lights net record $1.2 million for St. Paul's Hospital
The recently concluded 2003 St. Paul's Hospital Foundation's Lights of Hope campaign raised $1.2 million for the hospital, more than double the amount from the year before. The funds are used for medical equipment, research and enhanced patient care at St. Paul's Hospital.
"We have broken all previous records and I am thrilled with the result," said Lights of Hope Chair John Jennings. "There are so many generous people out there who truly care about St. Paul's Hospital and they show it by giving to Lights of Hope. My thanks to everyone who contributed."
A festive tradition since 1998, the Lights of Hope display is made possible by sponsors and volunteers. Presenting sponsors for 2003 were the Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation of Canada, the V.K. Eddie Hsu Foundation, the Cardiologists and Cardiac Surgeons of St. Paul’s Hospital Heart Centre and the National Bank Financial Group.
More than 200 kind-spirited individuals log more than 2000 volunteer hours to create the display. Supporters include Stuart Olsen Construction, Stantech Architects, BC Hydro, the Electrical Contractors Association of BC, IBEW Local 213 and the Electrical Trades classes of BCIT.
Planning is already underway for Lights of Hope 2004. If you or your company would like to take part, please call 604-682-8206 or e-mail jnorris@providencehealth.bc.ca
17) Media release - August 13, 2003
Ship-in-a-Bottle Heart Surgery to Save Lives and Dollars
It's a dilemma. You're too sick for the life-saving surgery you need.
Your heart's own valve is giving out and you need a new one soon. In
your weakened condition the operation could kill you.
Doctors at St. Paul's Hospital's leading-edge Heart Centre see a solution on
the horizon, a way to replace dying valves without surgery. They've taken their
cue from an old seaman's hobby – ships in a bottle.
In the old days, intricate models of ships were made to be folded small enough to slip through the neck of a bottle, then unfurl inside the flask to their full glory.
The new medical twist is a foldable heart valve that can be threaded into a tiny incision, up through a blood vessel to the heart then unfolded and installed remotely, without major surgery.
The savings in patient discomfort are immense, but so are the dollar
savings. No large operating room and no long hospital stay means saving
thousands of dollars per patient. It also means saving the lives of those
too weak for open-heart surgery.
The new procedure is called Percutaneous Valve Replacement. A small incision
is made at the top of the leg to allow a tube the size of a pencil to be inserted.
The tube is threaded along the veins up to the heart. Veins don't have a sense
of touch inside them so the patient feels very little. The folded valve goes
in through the tube to the heart. It's then unfurled and fixed in place exactly.
When that's done, the tube is pulled back out. The leg incision is so small
it only needs two or three stitches. After a rest, the patient is free to go.
Today, many people benefit from the traditional expensive and painful heart-valve surgery pioneered over 40 years ago. Hundreds of thousands of people worldwide have artificial valves. At age 85, Mrs. Eleanor Wetherly had symptoms that her own valve was failing.
"A few years ago I started getting so short of breath and so tired. When I walked to the store I had to stop and sit down so often just to catch my breath. The doctor said if I didn't have the surgery, I'd have 6 months to live."
Luckily, Mrs. Wetherly was a good candidate for traditional replacement surgery. Unfortunately many patients with failing heart valves aren't eligible for this traditional operation.
"Sometimes their hearts are just too far gone," says Heart Centre specialist, Dr. John Webb. "Sometimes they have some other condition that makes them a poor candidate for major surgery. So at first we'll just be trying this new surgery on the sickest patients, those who have no options left to them. In time, we hope to offer this more widely."
Mrs. Wetherly didn't enjoy her traditional valve replacement surgery.
"Where they broke my breast bone and ribs to get at my heart it really hurt. I was in the hospital for a long time. It was two or three months before I felt all better."
Because of the reduced risk, pain and cost, non-surgical valve replacement is the hope of the future.
"But," cautions Dr. Webb, "the new remote procedure is still highly experimental. It's not available just yet. The tube we thread it through is three feet long. The placement of these folding valves is crucial. A few hair widths out of place and the whole thing's wrong. 'Close enough' isn't good enough when you're dealing with something as intricate as the human heart. We have to get it right every time."
Although widespread use is likely some years away, Webb adds that initial limited use of the new technique on humans is expected within one or two years.
So a delicate ship in a bottle from centuries past points the way. Those with failing hearts are given new wind in their sails thanks to an old art form gone high tech. Folded valves that unfurl in the heart are set to save lives in the years to come.