Re-imagine rehab
Surviving a stroke, supporting LGH
Current priorities
Why the north shore needs a dedicated rehab unit
For patients recovering from a stroke, there’s an ideal window of 14 days between the medical emergency and the start of intensive rehab. When the right services are available, rehab teams can do far more to maximize a patient’s recovery.
Right now, physicians, rehab nurses, and speech, occupational and physical therapists at Lions Gate Hospital provide support in different locations across the campus. Some North Shore patients have to travel to Vancouver for the intensive rehab care they need, because there isn’t enough space at LGH to accommodate everyone.
For stroke patients in particular, time is critical. A dedicated unit where rehab can start at the bedside would be great news for the close to 700 stroke patients who arrive at LGH’s Emergency Department each year, and for the hundreds more recovering from neurological injuries, surgery, traumatic injuries and debilitating illness.
That’s why Lions Gate Hospital Foundation launched the Re-Imagine Rehab campaign: to raise $20 million to build an intensive rehabilitation unit in the South Tower of Lions Gate Hospital in North Vancouver.
Tanya's Story
West Vancouver resident Tanya Mah knows how much the right rehab at the right time matters. In the summer of 2024, while on a family fishing trip off the West Coast of Tofino, she collapsed with a sudden, severe headache. At 53, she had suffered a hemorrhagic stroke.
In the early days, Tanya couldn’t talk, sit up or walk. She spent three months at GF Strong in Vancouver for intensive rehab because there were no beds available at Lions Gate Hospital. Slowly, she began to see small but significant improvements.
Once discharged, Tanya was relieved to continue her recovery closer to home through the Neurological Rehabilitation Outpatient Program (NROP) at LGH.
JIM'S STORY
In the spring of 2025, North Vancouver resident Jim Hinton went from being an active husband, father and outdoor enthusiast to a critically ill patient. Sepsis had caused an abscess that injured the spinal cord in his neck, leaving him paralyzed.
After surgery at Vancouver General Hospital, Jim spent three months in emergency care and high-intensity rehab at GF Strong, where he walked out on his own. He chose to continue his outpatient rehab at Lions Gate Hospital so he could be closer to home.
“Many of the physicians and physiatrists who worked with me at LGH also work at GF Strong. A new Rehabilitation Unit at LGH will give them facilities and technology to match their experience and skills.”
Today, Jim is hiking the North Shore with his dog Kali. “It’s been quite a journey,” he says. “I’m still on it and I’m still improving.”
What Your Donation Will Fund
The new unit will be the first purpose-built rehab facility developed in the Lower Mainland in 50 years. When you donate to Re-Imagine Rehab, you’ll help fund:
- New patient rooms which will accommodate up to 30 patients
- A state-of-the-art therapy gym with the latest rehab equipment
- Treatment areas that enable inpatients and outpatients to mingle
- Quiet rooms for speech language therapy, social work support and counselling
- A transition unit that mimics the home environment
The unit will also bring LGH’s rehab team together in one place, including physiatrists, rehab nurses and assistants, occupational therapists, physiotherapists and speech-language practitioners, so they can collaborate more effectively and provide the best patient care.
With your support we can fund care that lasts a lifetime. Thank you.
What Our Care Teams Say
“With the anticipated increase in the number of people surviving a stroke and a second wave of post-pandemic health care needs all colliding at the same time – it couldn’t be a better time to re-think how we deliver high-intensity rehab on the North Shore.”
Dr. Nicola Hahn, Physiatrist and Campaign Champion
“With the Paul Myers Tower and other developments at LGH there’s a lot of longstanding generosity and young energy that’s allowing us to make quick changes to improve the quality of care here.”
Dr. Nicola Hahn
Lubna Allana, a physiotherapist at LGH for 11 years, remembers when patients had a shared lounge, and what that sense of community meant for recovery:
“The social impact was huge. It wasn’t just one patient and their family that used to come, it was other patients and their families. It used to be a big social environment and the patients used to be so uplifted when they could hear the stories of the other people who were doing so well.”
A Community Coming Together
The North Shore has rallied behind Re-Imagine Rehab. The Enchanted Forest Masquerade Gala raised $1,007,846 for the campaign. More than 400 monthly donors have directed over $450,000 toward rehab care. Local students, musicians and businesses have hosted their own fundraisers along the way.
Every gift, big or small, brings us closer to a new rehab unit where more North Shore patients can recover close to home.
Prefer to give a little each month? Become a monthly donor or create your own fundraiser.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Re-Imagine Rehab campaign?
Re-Imagine Rehab is Lions Gate Hospital Foundation’s rehab campaign to raise $20 million for a new intensive rehabilitation unit at Lions Gate Hospital in North Vancouver.
Who will the new rehab unit help?
The unit will care for patients recovering from stroke and other neurological conditions, as well as surgery, traumatic injuries such as biking and skiing accidents, and debilitating illness.
Where will the new rehab unit be?
The unit will be built in the South Tower of Lions Gate Hospital in North Vancouver.
Why do some North Shore patients go to Vancouver for rehab?
Lions Gate Hospital doesn’t currently have enough dedicated space for intensive inpatient rehab, so some patients are transferred to GF Strong Rehabilitation Centre in Vancouver. The new unit will let more patients receive that care close to home.
How can I support Re-Imagine Rehab?
You can make a one-time or monthly donation, or raise funds through a community event or your own fundraiser. Every donation brings the new unit one step closer.
Will I receive a tax receipt?
Yes. Donations to Lions Gate Hospital Foundation are eligible for a tax receipt.
Contact Us
If you would like to contact Lions Gate Hospital Foundation, please fill out the form below.
For patient information or information on LGH services, please call 604.988.3131
We look forward to hearing from you.
Lions Gate Hospital Foundation
231 East 15th Street (Main Floor)
North Vancouver, BC
V7L 2L7
Phone: 604.984.5785
Fax: 604.984.5786
Office Hours: 8:00am – 4:30pm (PST) Monday to Friday
Lions Gate Hospital
231 East 15th Street
North Vancouver, BC
V7L 2L7
Main Switchoard: 604.988.3131
Visiting Hours: 11:00am – 8:00pm (PST) Monday to Friday
