This Heart Month, we share a story rooted in excellence and generosity, and the importance of cardiac care. It’s the story of Gerald Hartwig: father, husband, developer, athlete, philanthropist, and a grateful champion of the lifesaving cardiac work that takes place at Royal Jubilee Hospital (RJH). As a recognized centre of excellence, a provincial referral hub, and an internationally respected leader in cardiac care, innovation, and rehabilitation, RJH continues to shape what is possible for patients and families across our region and beyond.
“If you were coming from anywhere else, we would take you on as a patient—but you live on Vancouver Island, and their cardiac teams are just as good as we are. You are in the best hands.”
This is what Gerald heard at the Cleveland Clinic, one of the most renowned cardiac centres in the world. It confirmed what Gerald already knew and experienced for himself: RJH is home to an excellent heart health program.
Over the last ten years, Gerald has lived through more emergencies than most people experience in a lifetime. His heart has stopped twice. He has received seven ablations to correct dangerous heart rhythms, an implanted defibrillator (ICD) to protect him from sudden cardiac arrest, and three rounds of cardiac rehabilitation to regain strength, confidence, and quality of life.
Foundation CEO Avery Brohman, Dr. Markus Sikkel, Gerald Hartwig, April Dorey Hartwig, Registered Nurse Liz McBride, and Dr. Christopher Franco
He has died, and been brought back. Each time, he returns with a stronger resolve to live fully and a deeper gratitude for the physicians, nurses, and cardiac teams at RJH who have kept him not just alive, but able to enjoy life to the fullest.
Gerald’s cardiac journey began in 2016. Then 59-years-old, Gerald was an avid athlete with no history of illness. However, that year, after a particularly intense month of activity, Gerald woke up to what felt like a sledgehammer to the chest. He assumed he was having a heart attack and went to RJH. He was quickly diagnosed with Prinzmetal angina, an unpredictable and potentially fatal cardiac condition triggered by dehydration.
He recovered, but what happened over the next decade would test the limits of what one person can endure.
Once, Gerald experienced a sudden dizzy spell during a meeting at City Hall. What seemed like a fleeting moment turned out to be a dangerous combination of arrhythmias—high premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) and atrial fibrillation (AFib), electrical disturbances that can cause the heart to beat erratically or even stop. He spent ten days on the Cardiac Unit at RJH while the cardiac team worked to stabilize his rhythm and monitor his heart.
Another time, while travelling in Mexico, Gerald flatlined and was resuscitated by a local hospital. He was stabilized just long enough for his wife, April Dorey Hartwig, to connect with his cardiologists in Victoria and advocate for Gerald’s safe return home. Back at RJH, he underwent one of his seven heart ablations in RJH’s Electrophysiology Lab, a minimally invasive procedure used to treat irregular heartbeats.
Yet another time, Gerald was shocked by his ICD while kiteboarding alone on a remote lake. ICDs are designed to detect lethal rhythms and deliver an immediate electrical shock to reset the heart. After the incident, he was cared for and recalibrated in the RJH Pacemaker Clinic.
As if that wasn’t enough, the strength and breadth of our cardiac program became even more evident to Gerald when his family needed it. His son Keith suffered a heart attack at just 37 years old while running the Royal Victoria Marathon. By the time Gerald and April reached the hospital, 45 agonizing minutes later, the cardiac team had already placed the stents he needed. Their son survived.
Today, his daughter Steph receives proactive care through the Vascular Risk and Prevention Clinic, and SAVE BC program at RJH, two donor-funded initiatives. This is care designed to intervene early, before a crisis occurs.
Gerald knows the cardiac program intimately, and from every angle. Throughout his journey, he and April have never felt fear, but rather confidence in our local teams. They trusted the expertise, and the people behind it.
Gerald likes to look forward in life, but when he looks back at the past ten years, he does so with profound appreciation for the care he received locally. He speaks the names of Dr. Rick Leather, Dr. Christopher Franco, Dr. Markus Sikkel, Dr. Elizabeth Swiggum, and Nurse Clinician Lindsay Ward with reverence, and never forgets to thank the nurses, technologists, dieticians, and medical office assistants who have followed his journey, remembered his history, and acted quickly amid all his cardiac episodes.
As longtime supporters of the Foundation, Gerald and April give because they understand a fundamental truth: even the most skilled physicians need the right tools to deliver the highest standard of care.
“Our doctors are the best in the world, but without the right equipment, we limit the care they can provide locally. Our community deserves care that matches the calibre of our physicians, and it is why I choose to support the continuous improvement of the cardiac program at RJH,” shares Gerald.
His most recent gift supported the purchase of two new point-of-care ultrasounds for the Electrophysiology and Heart Catheterization Labs at RJH. The best-in-class ultrasounds are providing immediate, real‑time imaging to assess heart function, detect complications, diagnose valve disease, and guide procedures with ultimate precision—reducing procedure times and risks for both patients and caregivers.
Gerald and April give back because they believe in strengthening the system that has supported their family, and most importantly the caregivers who have shown expertise and dedication.
“We feel really lucky to have the lives we have. We both were on our own at a very young age and it’s people along the way that have made the difference for us. Investing in this care is a way to do the same for others,” Gerald shares.
Today, he continues to be monitored as part of a clinical trial for a new blood thinner, and remains focused on the future. He approaches each day with purpose, grateful for the care he has received and committed to helping ensure that same level of care is available to everyone in the community.
In the end, Gerald’s story is more than a medical journey. It is a testament to resilience, gratitude, and the power of giving back. A true story of heart.
We deeply thank Gerald and April for being steadfast leaders in philanthropy, and for elevating the cardiac program at RJH through their generosity, among many other campaigns and areas of care. We also recognize the importance of sharing local stories in healthcare, and thank them for this gift.
