Resilience and generosity from a longtime donor
Spring 2026 Impact Report
Inspired by the care that helped him recover, Frank Polanski is leaving a gift in his Will so that others will receive the same chance at life. Upon meeting Frank Polanski, your first thought might be that he looks like a vibrant man in his 70s. But the Edmontonian is actually 94 years old… a living, breathing testimony to the power of exercise and determination in recovering from a stroke. His stroke happened at age 77, on a Friday the 13th. Frank remembers getting out of bed, planning to go to the gym, and falling to the floor. He quickly realized his entire left side was paralyzed. His wife Elsie, who has since passed, called 9-1-1 and Frank was taken to a hospital 15 minutes away. His recovery was nothing short of miraculous – thanks to his already active lifestyle. “Later that morning, I felt my toes and fingers starting to recover from numbness.” That same day Frank’s doctors let him begin walking slowly. A day later, he was released from hospital with a cardiac monitor.
Beat as one
“Without a doubt, my speedy recovery was aided through regular exercise and healthy eating, and my faith,” Frank says. He continues to exercise daily and watch his food intake with an aim to “reach 100.”
Big breakthroughs. Better health. Because of YOU.
Long time donor Frank’s stroke and the care he Frank Polanski received prompted him to give back. He supports Heart & Stroke through regular donations and has also made the decision to leave a gift in his will. A true inspiration, he’s happy to share his story in the hope that others will see that lifestyle choices really do matter. Thank you, Frank!
THIS is the impact of our research: Meet Dr. Michael Hill
A life-saving gift, a legacy of hope Your legacy gift will make an impact for generations to come. Together, we can build a future where everyone enjoys a longer, healthier life uninterrupted by heart disease or stroke.
Contact numbers are:
To learn more about legacy giving, visit: heartandstroke.ca/legacy
Mary Goodfellow - ON 1-800-205-4438 Susan Deike - BC, YK, AB, NWT, SK, MB 1-403-451-3675
Believing stroke damage to be irreversible, many researchers avoided the field. But not Dr. Michael Hill. During his neurology residency in 1995, he chose to focus on stroke, considering it an emerging frontier: “It was motivating to see what we could do to treat people.”
Angela Gresseau-Okalow QC, NS, PEI, NL 1-416-386-4517
Early work collecting patient data across Canada helped pave the way for the approval of clot-busting drugs in 1999 and 2003 –treatments that dramatically improved patient outcomes. But his most groundbreaking work came with colleagues Dr. Mayank Goyal and Dr. Andrew Demchuk, co-leaders of the ESCAPE trial, which tested a new procedure called endovascular treatment (EVT).
A gift of securities is one of the most cost-effective ways to support the cause that’s close to your heart. Learn more at: heartandstroke.ca/securities
3 easy and secure ways to make your special gift today: Mail Return the reply card in the postage paid envelope provided
Phone 1-877-882-2582
Online heartandstroke.ca/impact or scan the QR code
When we beat as one, we achieve so much together.
If you had an ischemic stroke in the early 1990s, the outlook was bleak. There were no treatments, mortality rates were double that of today, and survivors often needed lifelong care.
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The idea grew from imaging research and a “serendipitous” discovery. While working with open-cell stents – originally designed for aneurysms – the trio noticed they could also catch clots.
restored, and the patient rapidly improved: “We realized: This is effective and real!” Building a global, 22-site clinical trial wasn’t easy. Funding applications were rejected, causing “heartburn and sleepless nights.” Perseverance – and support from Heart & Stroke donors – paid off when the first patient enrolled in 2012. Two years later, an interim analysis revealed amazing results: EVT cut deaths by 50%. Patients who likely would have died or been severely disabled walked out of the hospital within days. Since neurointervention already existed as a specialty, hospitals implemented EVT almost immediately. Today, it’s used in health systems worldwide. Thanks to visionary researchers – and donors like you – stroke no longer signals the end of life, or the end of a fulfilling life. Instead, there’s real hope for recovery!
When they used this approach during a stroke case, the results were dramatic: the clot was removed, blood flow
INSIDE:
New hope for stroke in Canada Page 2
DASH your way to a healthy heart Page 3
A heartwarming surprise: meet the people that his research saved.
Giving back for care given: Frank’s legacy Page 4