LORI SNOW

The Meaning to me of 'MerlesWay'

My name is Lori Ann Snow; Daughter of Barbara Merle White. My mom was born on April 25, 1955, mother of two, myself and my older Brother Dwayne, grandmother to Hayley, Nathan & Emerson – who were her entire world.

In November of 2021, my mom and I traveled to St. John’s from HVGB to have a Dye test completed along with a fit test. She was born with a small Murmur on her heart and as the years passed this hole begun to grow, slowly. At the age of 66, She was feeling tired and out of breath and her doctor arranged for her to have these tests completed to make sure all was still okay.

It was determined that one of her heart valves was bad and it will need to be replaced. She was added to a waitlist for surgery – as each week passed, I noticed she was declining, shorter of wind, more tired, and she was worried.  Her words were “I hope I get my call soon.”

In February 2022, she got the call that her surgery will happen on February 28, her and I flew out to St. John’s and waited for the day of her surgery.

She was nervous, but was also excited to have this behind her, and was making plans for her future, spending time at her cabin with her husband, traveling to her place of birth with her sisters for the summer, traveling to Alberta to be with her granddaughter – she couldn’t wait to be able to walk and not feel out of breath, and to feel better.

Her open-heart surgery took place on March 01, 2022, after hours of waiting we were told her surgery was a success, she was advised that she had a minor blockage in her heart but was told it should not affect her health. We spent a week in St. John’s and flew back home to Labrador on March 7, 2022

17 days after her surgery on March 18, she attended the ER Department at the Labrador Health center in Goose Bay because she experienced heart palpitations. The Doctor on determined that it was her heart medications causing this and they readjusted her prescriptions and was discharged to home.

This happened many times between March 18 and May 8, Mother’s Day. She would be admitted into the ER department; where they would monitor her heart, and send her home each time. The evening of May 8, she called me and was panicked and scared.  Her words were “I think I am having a heart attack” I told her I am calling an ambulance and I am on my way to her.  When I arrived, she was sat at her kitchen table, leaning over and holding her chest.  Her skin was clammy, and she was breathing heavy.  She held my hand as I comforted her, and told her the ambulance is on the way.

My mom was admitted this day.

In order to be transferred to St. John’s a person is admitted into hospital to wait for a bed to be able to be transferred.  Even though she just had a valve replaced after having open heart surgery she still had to sit day after day to wait for transfer, to wait for a bed, to wait to see what may be causing her to have chest pain.

My mom had chest pain every day, starting out just once or twice a day, but as each day passed, her pain would become more regular, and more extreme.  She required nitroglycerin spray in order to relieve her pain, every single time.  Her belly area was black and blue from having so many needles for blood thinning; she was no longer eating as much, as her appetite disappeared, along with her hope.

On May 25, 2022 after moving 6 times on the ward, after waiting 17 days, after having many episodes of chest pain - she was finally told the magic words “We have a bed”

Help did not come for my mom.

My mom passed away on May 26, 2022. 

Since then I have advocated for better heath care for people in need of cardiac care, to help all members of our community and province to get help when it's needed. 

We cannot make changes without being heard and sticking together to try to make changes. This is my hope.

Please help such a worthwhile cause, every cent help, we all deserve medical attention in a timely manner. 

thank you to all who help!!