Holiday Heroes: How hospital staff and overseas family helped Karam Roberts on her recovery journey

Spending the Christmas season in a hospital bed isn’t most people’s idea of a great time. 

But for Karam Roberts, who was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease, then had an unexpected heart attack and spent four days in a coma in the ICU, waking up at St. Paul’s Hospital on Christmas day in 2020 was an unbelievable gift: it meant she was alive.

Her nurse Melissa cheered her by wearing a little elf hat and bringing chocolate, while one of her specialists delivered a candy cane. And staff let Karam’s partner, Matt Holywell, stay as long as he liked.

“It was just little things, but it brightened up the day not being at home,” Karam recalls. “I know my family were distraught that I was in hospital. I was just thinking, actually, it’s not too bad.”

Karam’s tight-knit family, who lived in Wales just outside of Wrexham, were ready to cancel Christmas after she was first admitted to St. Paul’s Hospital in mid-December.

“As a family, Christmases were always a real celebration. I didn’t want Christmas. I didn’t want the decorations,” says Gareth Roberts, Karam’s younger brother. “Christmas is very much about family being together and given the closeness of our family, for one of us to be in the condition that Karam was in, it was very difficult.”

Since Karam and Matt moved to Vancouver shortly before the pandemic began, they didn’t have time to build community. Fortunately, the staff at St. Paul’s stepped in and became their support system.

The Christmas season was only the beginning of Karam’s health journey at St. Paul’s Hospital, where staff became her surrogate family – and helped her reclaim her life.

Karam spent many weeks recovering in the cardiology ward at St. Paul’s Hospital, eventually being transferred to the catheterization (CATH) lab for a defibrillator implant.

In addition to the many doctors and allied health professionals who helped her regain health, Karam can name more than a dozen nurses who were an essential part of her inpatient experience:

Morgan arranged for a video call with her parents and the rheumatology team to fully explain the treatment for vasculitis, the rare autoimmune disease she was diagnosed with. Cherica brought her snacks for supper. Kelly gently rearranged her wires and tubes so she was always comfortable. MJ shared dry shampoo. Sherri replenished Karam’s chocolate stash when she ran out. Jas wrote ‘You’ve got this’ on the whiteboard in Karam’s room – a phrase that carried her through tough moments and she still thinks about today.

“The nurses were just fantastic,” she remembers. “There were so many little touches that just meant the world to me and helped with mundane life in a hospital bed.”

Matt, who was working full-time, says the frequent communication and updates from staff helped him feel confident and at peace that Karam was well-cared for when he couldn’t be by her side.

“It was a very tough time for both of us,” he says. “The support and level of care from the staff, and the personal touches from them, really helped us get through that time and the uncertainty.”

With help from Matt and hospital staff, Karam’s family overseas were completely in the loop. During the day, Karam’s family – eight hours ahead in the UK – kept her company on the phone or via video until Matt was off work, so she always had someone to talk to. Family members were also able to speak with specialists and listen in on phone appointments alongside Karam.

“My family were very clear from the start that we’re all in this together,” says Karam. “They were there to take notes and ask all the questions that needed to be asked. I didn’t really need to worry; I knew that someone would be listening and understanding for me.”

The supportive, extensive care St. Paul’s Hospital offered did not go unnoticed by her parents.

“Staff were all extremely helpful and empathetic. It left us in no doubt that Karam was receiving the best possible treatment and care from an expert team of health professionals,” says Pam and Arthur Roberts. “We cannot thank the health care staff enough for saving Karam’s life and giving her a standard of care that was above and beyond anything we could have ever hoped for. And staff acting as her surrogate family was a gift of hope.”

Karam was discharged from the hospital in late January 2021 and began her physical rehabilitation, while continuing to receive outpatient treatment at St. Paul’s Hospital. Her family played a pivotal role in her recovery – starting with a special visit from her brother, Gareth.

Dr. Ennis, Karam’s vasculitis specialist, helped with the paperwork for a travel exemption for Gareth. As soon as international flights from the UK resumed in May 2021, Gareth was on a plane. He quarantined in a Vancouver hotel for two weeks; Karam would call from the street below and they’d wave at one another.

Gareth spent several weeks attending numerous appointments with Karam, as well as advancing her recovery with a little sibling athletic rivalry and laughter. He immediately noted the patient, attentive, and interdisciplinary care she received from doctors and staff. 

“The care has been incredible. There’s been a level of personal involvement from key people that have genuinely gone above and beyond for her,” he says. “She wouldn’t be here without that.”

Karam and Matt, who were very familiar with the hospital, toured Gareth through the places in the building where she’d experienced critical moments in her health journey. Gareth believes the forthright conversations during his trip also helped facilitate mental and emotional healing, propelling Matt and Karam’s lives forward.

“Her recovery has been absolutely amazing to see. What I’m happiest about is she’s back to the mental strength that she always had,” Gareth says. “She was a very, very determined individual and I’m really happy that she’s now back to the old Karam.”

As a passionate traveler, Karam likes to engage with the culture of Indigenous Peoples in the places she visits. During the weeks she was in the hospital, she spotted hummingbirds outside her window – so during Gareth’s stay they set out to discover what that meant to First Nations in BC.

They learned that hummingbirds signify joy, good news, and perseverance, and seeing one during times of sorrow and pain is a sign that healing will follow. They’re also a reminder to appreciate the everyday joys of life’s sweet moments.

To memorialize this symbol, in 2021 Karam’s family bought her a gold ring with a hummingbird engraved on it for her birthday by renowned BC Indigenous artist Charles Harper.

“Since then, it has been onwards and upwards for Karam,” says her father Arthur.

Since Karam is susceptible to lung collapses and infections, she hasn’t been able to fly. Family visits from her parents and younger sister Shaan over the last few years have brought further support, joy, celebration, and healing.

In 2022, Matt’s brother, sister-in-law, and two young nieces came from Tasmania for the holiday season, their first in the Northern hemisphere. Numerous firsts for Matt’s family during the trip included a snowstorm, a hockey game, and a ski lesson – which was also Karam’s return to skiing after her diagnosis.

“Family visiting really spurred me on to get out and about, and gave me something to aim towards in my cardiac rehabilitation,” she says. “It meant the world to me to have them here.”

A visit from Karam’s sister Shaan last fall showed how much progress she has made in her recovery journey, thanks to Karam’s feisty spirit and exceptional medical care. Karam drove to Seattle on her own to pick up Shaan at the airport; launching a 4-day girls trip that began with car karaoke and ended with sipping cocktails on Vancouver Island.

“This was our quality time. Just the two of us, making memories. I don’t think there are enough words to express my gratitude to each and every person who has cared for my strong, brave, fighter of a sister over the past few years.,” Shaan says. “Her life has literally been in your hands, and you saved it.  You made it possible for us to create more memories. You made it possible for her to live and love life again.  You made it possible for her to have a future with Matthew. And I will be forever grateful.”

Part of the Roberts family reunited once again in November 2024 when Arthur and Gareth visited Karam and Matt in Vancouver, enjoying everything from hockey games to nature walks.

They also brought special gifts from overseas: a custom thank-you card and a contribution to Lights of Hope from Karam and Matt’s family and friends. The generous donation supports a star on this year’s Lights of Hope display and is named in honour of Karam’s care team at St. Paul’s Hospital.

Karam and Matt are thankful for the ongoing care that keeps her thriving and looking ahead with optimism. They’re in the midst of planning a trip to see Matt’s family in Australia, where – if her health care team can resolve some lingering issues in her ears – she hopes to snorkel and scuba dive for the first time in over four years.

“It’s just incredible to see how far we’ve come from when I left hospital to where I am today. The things I’m now able to do again, that I never dreamed I’d be able to,” Karam says. “I can’t thank staff enough from the bottom of my heart. And I wouldn’t be here and able to say that without the help of everyone involved in my care every step of the way.”

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