“The New Brunswick Heart Centre is a true centre of excellence, though many people don’t realize it. I want to help ensure it stays leading-edge so all New Brunswickers can continue receiving the very best care, right here at home.” – Andrew K. McCain

When Andrew K. McCain reflects on the care he received at the New Brunswick Heart Centre, he says in his own words: at the time of his diagnosis, he was a “walking time bomb.”

It started unexpectedly. During the pandemic, while spending time at his cottage, Andrew sneezed and felt a sharp pain. What seemed like a minor injury turned out to be a broken rib. Out of caution, his doctors ordered an MRI. That test revealed something far more serious: his aortic valve was failing, and he needed surgery urgently.

The news was a shock. Andrew had no symptoms, no warning signs. Yet suddenly, he was faced with a life-threatening diagnosis in the middle of a global health crisis.

As someone who often sought medical care out of province, Andrew’s first instinct was to contact a leading heart centre in Toronto. But during the pandemic, barriers quickly mounted. They would not admit him until he had local imaging and testing completed, he would need to stay in a hotel during the process, and delays were inevitable. At a time when he needed immediate reassurance and action, he was left feeling uncertain and uneasy.

That’s when he spoke to cardiologist Dr. Rob Stevenson at the New Brunswick Heart Centre. Dr. Stevenson’s message was simple but powerful: “We may not have all the advanced technology that a place like Toronto has, but we have everything we need, and we do this surgery every single day. You will be in excellent hands.”

Placing his trust in Dr. Stevenson and surgeon Dr. Ansar Hassan, Andrew moved forward with surgery in Saint John. What he found was not only surgical excellence but a team that treated him with compassion and dignity. He remembers their warmth, their bedside manner, the daily check-ins, even small gestures like bringing him a Tim Hortons coffee. In one of the most vulnerable and troubling moments of his life, the team at the Heart Centre were a reassuring and professional presence. They didn’t just save his life, they gave him comfort, confidence, and a tomorrow.

The surgery was a success. His life was saved.

In gratitude for the care he received, Andrew has committed $1.5 million to support the New Brunswick Heart Centre. His generosity is driving the $10.5 million Work Wonders Campaign for Surgical Excellence, where he serves as Honorary Campaign Chair. This campaign is focused on bringing a permanent advanced Hybrid Operating Room to Saint John Regional Hospital and launching one of the first spinal robotic surgery programs in Canada, setting a new standard for complex, minimally invasive procedures in the province.

A Hybrid OR combines advanced imaging technology with a traditional surgical suite, allowing specialists to perform complex procedures with greater precision and less risk. The spinal robotic surgery program will give patients access to cutting-edge techniques that improve outcomes, reduce recovery times, and minimize complications. For patients, that means safer surgeries, faster recoveries, and more lives saved, right here at home.

Andrew hopes his gift will help ensure that every New Brunswicker can benefit from the very best care, when their tomorrow depends on it.

This story is a reminder: every surgery is more than a procedure. It is someone’s future, someone’s family, someone’s tomorrow.

And thanks to Andrew K. McCain, and his role as Honorary Campaign Chair for the Work Wonders Campaign, that tomorrow will be brighter for generations to come.