PANDEMIC FARM GARDEN PARTY
SATURDAY AUGUST 28, 2021, from 5:30 PM until the sun goes down
In support of
the VAD program at the Mazankoski Alberta Heart Institute
through the University Hospital Foundation
This is no average picnic. Bring your blanket and lay it down on the soft grass between the rows of carrots, beans, peas and other vegetables at the Pandemic Farm, just west of Saint Albert. A garden bucket of the best picnic dinner awaits you. Kick-off your shoes because Five on the Side will have you up dancing in the grass.
DIRECTIONS & DETAILS
Location:
Cost:
$140 per person plus GST
What to bring:
BRAD'S STORY
Brad Smoliak, a renowned local chef and owner of restaurant KITCHEN by Brad, is also the proud owner of a VAD – a mechanical heart. Brad was born with a heart defect – transposition of the great vessels. As a child, he had to go through several surgeries. Nevertheless, Brad was able to live his life pretty normally.
But at 34 he had a major cardiac episode and by the age of 52, Brad was in late-stage heart failure. He wouldn’t be able to live without a new heart. Testing showed that Brad’s body was used to working with his declining heart. A new, healthy heart wouldn’t be able to pump against the high pressure in his lungs, and a transplant would fail.
This is when Dr. Holger Buchholz and his team at the Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute (Maz) entered the picture. Brad could have a Ventricular Assist Device (VAD) implanted. The VAD would do the work for his heart and keep him alive until his body was ready for a transplant.
On January 18, 2019, Brad underwent surgery to have his VAD inserted. Those days were difficult for his wife, Leanne, and the Smoliak family. "There were days when we knew he was fighting for his life," says Leanne. "But the staff at the Maz made all the difference to them. The team was amazing. They always had updates to give me when I came back to the hospital. They always reassured me that they'd make sure he would make it through the night."
Brad is now back to doing what he loves, spending time with his
family, and of course cooking.
Brad and Leanne also have a new
mission: to raise $1 million for the Mazankowski in their lifetime.
And they’re already well on their way.
OUR CHARITIES
UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL FOUNDATION
The University Hospital Foundation was created in 1962 by an act in the Alberta legislature. In the decades since, we have evolved into one of the most successful hospital fundraising organizations in Canada. We raise funds to advance patient care and innovation at the University of Alberta Hospital, the Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute and the Kaye Edmonton Clinic.
We are passionate promoters of the power of generosity – your generosity – to change and save lives in our community. We inspire people to help advance our hospitals as world leaders in specialized and complex care. Thanks to your donations, the University Hospital Foundation has raised $217 million in the past 10 years and that tally is growing every day. Your contributions are literally bringing innovation to life-supporting emerging ideas and technologies that are advancing excellence in patient care, education and research on a daily basis.
To learn more or make a donation visit our website GiveToUHF.ca
