Andrew van der Westhuizen collided with a commercial truck on May 11 and died on June 30
A Kamloops doctor who was injured in a bicycle accident in May has died.
Andrew van der Westhuizen, 36, spent seven weeks in the intensive care unit at Vancouver General Hospital before succumbing to traumatic internal injuries on June 30, his wife, Jen van der Westhuizen, confirmed in a post on social media.
On May 11, Andrew was cycling north (down) down Highland Road from Juniper Ridge on a multipurpose road when he collided with a water truck traveling in the same direction and turned right, in front. of Andrew, to access a landfill. area used for construction in the area.
Andrew was rushed to hospital with internal wounds, broken ribs and a concussion, underwent several surgeries for several weeks and was given about 100 units of blood products. He managed to communicate non-verbally while in the hospital, unable to speak as he has a tracheotomy tube that helps him breathe.
Andrew, a radiologist at Royal Inland Hospital, and Jen moved to Kamloops with their two young children about a year ago.
“Today we said goodbye to one of the most wonderful, loving and kind human beings I have ever met and will ever meet, my sweet husband,” Jen wrote in a post on Facebook on June 30th. “He had many titles, not limited to, but including; son, brother, husband, father, friend, teammate, teammate and neighbor. His warmth and love will be cherished forever and we will miss him greatly.”
Jen told KTW by phone on Tuesday that Andrew was expecting a liver transplant when he died.
“His injuries were too great,” he said. “He just wasn’t healing and he was a catch-22 in the sense that he wasn’t healing because his liver wasn’t working, but his liver wasn’t working because he needed a new liver, but they couldn’t. Give him a new liver until it heals a little more. “
Jen said family support has been invaluable in helping her cope with Andrew’s death, which has changed plans for Jen and her children as they had moved here for Andrew’s work and they had just begun to settle in Kamloops.
After 10 years of medical school in Vancouver and two years as a substitute doctor in Victoria, last year Andrew had gotten a full-time job at the Royal Inland Hospital and the couple had planned to call Kamloops home for a long time. time after investing years of hard work. to Andrew’s medical career.
“We were starting the next chapter,” Jen said. “This last year was a blessing. Andreu was very happy in his life. He had reached a point in his career where he was confident and very happy with the Kamloops radiology group and it was the perfect fit.”
The couple had found a good balance between work and family life and wanted to plan trips and do more activities with their children, who are six and two years old.
Andrew and Jen were loved from high school, having graduated from grade 11, when they attended St. Paul University School. Michaels in Victoria.
“We already had a lifetime together,” Jen said, noting that they had been together for 19 years and were ready to celebrate their ninth wedding anniversary in August. “I’m so grateful to have had this.”
While Andrew was in the hospital, Jen split time between Kamloops and Lower Mainland to see her husband and praised the medical care and empathy Andrew received from his doctors and nurses despite the challenges they face. in their work. He also asked people to consider making blood donations and sign up to donate organs.
Jen has also advocated for better bike safety since the crash. In an earlier interview with KTW, he called on signalers along Highland Road to improve safety between cyclists and trucks crossing and noted the need for additional access roads inside and outside Juniper.
Jen said that while she is devastated by the avoidable loss of her husband, she has no bitterness towards the driver of the truck that hit Andrew, and pointed to the burden of having to know that one is responsible for a death.
“My heart goes out to him,” he said.
Kamloops City Council has told KTW that it intends to monitor traffic activity along Highland Road over the summer to determine whether any improvements and / or pilot projects should be implemented to improve safety at running Man.