St. Paul’s Hospital cared for over half a million patients this year – but only one of them turned his experience into a heartfelt song to say thank you.
When a persistent cough turned into an aggressive case of pneumonia, Brian Owen’s quick trip to the ER became a two-week stay at St. Paul’s Hospital. What he witnessed during that time — the rhythm, compassion, and quiet heroism of hospital life — moved him to write The Ballad of St. Paul’s, a tribute to the people who cared for him.
Brian’s connection to St. Paul’s Hospital runs deep. For more than 20 years, he’s supported St. Paul’s Foundation — including the Lights of Hope campaign — driven by a belief in giving back to health care in his community. His recent experience only strengthened that bond, turning gratitude into music and reaffirming why he continues to give.
A life touched by St. Paul's Hospital
Brian grew up on a farm in Manitoba, studied agricultural economics, and later earned a PhD in business administration. He returned to his home province to teach at the University of Manitoba, where he spent 30 years – all while running a market research company on the side.
When he retired from academia in 2003, he expanded his business to Calgary and Vancouver. Five years later, he and his wife Valerie moved to Vancouver – and even before settling in permanently, they began their relationship with St. Paul’s Hospital.
Brian first arrived at the Teck Emergency Centre at St. Paul’s Hospital in 2004 with a troubling arrythmia. He was seen by Dr. John Yeung-Lai-Wah, who remains his physician to this day. Over the years, Dr. Yeung-Lai-Wah performed a series of ablation procedures that helped address the problem.
In 2021, when Valerie experienced months of unexplained symptoms and inconclusive appointments, Brian urged his own GP to step in. Concerned by the results of blood work, the doctor referred her to Emergency at St. Paul’s Hospital. Within hours, Valerie received a diagnosis: stomach cancer. Though she later passed away in 2022, Brian never forgot the swift, compassionate care Valerie received.
Then, in April, Brian faced another health scare. He was admitted to St. Paul’s Hospital, where specialists from respirology and internal medicine diagnosed him with Cryptogenic Organizing Pneumonia (COP), a lung condition affecting the small airways. Thankfully, after two weeks in hospital and a course of steroids, Brian made a full recovery.
“The care at St. Paul’s Hospital has been great,” he says. “I’ve always been well treated here.”
A tradition of compassion and giving back
Raised in a tight-knit community, helping others and giving back has always been part of Brian’s DNA.
“I grew up in a family and community where there’s an expectation that you’ll give something back,” he explains.
That belief has guided his support for health care over the years, including donations to St. Paul’s Foundation, cancer research, and critically ill and premature babies.
Lights of Hope holds a special place in Brian’s heart. After attending a donor celebration several years ago, Brian was impressed by the warmth and gratitude that filled the room. Supporting Lights of Hope became a way to honour the care he and Valerie received, and to help others experience the same compassionate, skilled care.
Brian’s annual donation to Lights of Hope is recognized with a star on the hospital’s iconic holiday light display.
“I wanted Valerie’s name on a star up high,” he says, “because she deserves it, and so people could see it and know she was part of something meaningful.”
The song that says it all: The Ballad of St. Paul's Hospital
St Paul’s is a beacon
A passion that endures
Top health care for everyone
Patients coming for cures
Music has always been part of Brian’s life. He loved singing as a young man, but as his family and career took priority, the hobby fell to the wayside. About a decade ago, he picked it up again – taking voice lessons, writing songs, and recording a blend of original compositions and covers.
His most recent piece, The Ballad of St. Paul’s, was born after his hospital stay earlier this year. A doctor playfully suggested that Brian write a song about St. Paul’s Hospital after learning he was a singer-songwriter. He didn’t take the idea seriously at first.
But as he recovered, Brian noticed the cadence of hospital life: the steady flow of nurses, the quiet coordination among staff, and the unwavering compassion that surrounded him. The Ballad of St. Paul’s is a musical thank-you, and a reflection of everything Brian experienced during his time in the hospital.
“The song is about the rhythm of the hospital, the way everything meshes together. It really is a hospital ballet,” he says. “There’s a real commitment from the staff. Spending two weeks there, I saw how complex the operation really is. I was very impressed – it's all these moving parts working in harmony.”
For Brian, contributing to Lights of Hope is a way to help others experience the exceptional, healing care that defines St. Paul’s Hospital, Providence Health Care, and Providence Living.
“The hospital does a great job — often under challenging circumstances,” he says. “If donating is part of your life, then St. Paul’s Foundation is a great choice — especially if you have a personal association with the hospital.”
Brian’s song is a reminder that giving, in any form, helps light the way for others. Lights of Hope supports innovative research, compassionate care for patients, and life-enriching activities for residents in long-term care. Your gift to Lights of Hope saves and changes lives.