A room in the new patient care tower at Royal Inland Hospital will be dedicated to the memory of Kamloops resident Darrin Yusishen, who passed away in 2018 after a battle with brain cancer.
The announcement was made by Health Minister Adrian Dix, during a stop at RIH this morning.
“It’s a great honour to recognize and respect Darrin Yusishen and to know his memory will live on at Royal Inland Hospital with our government’s commitment to have a room in the new patient care tower named in his memory,” said Dix, in a statement. “Darrin cared deeply for his family and friends who were at his side as he battled, and for his wife Tammy, daughter Bella and son Kellen.”
“This room will be a beacon of their love for each other.”
Yusishen was diagnosed with glioblastoma – an aggressive form of brain cancer in 2017 – and he passed away on Jan. 23, 2018 at the age of 40.
Dix says he met with Darrin’s sister, Crystal Maloney, and notes that work still needs to be done to improve the health-care system.
“Patient care is a priority for our government,” Dix said. “The new tower being built at Royal Inland Hospital is a great step in that direction, offering enhanced care to people with more patient rooms offering privacy as well as more operating rooms, complementing space available at the hospital.”
Maloney says today is a day to pay tribute to Yusishen, whom she called a ‘great man, a wonderful husband, father, son, brother, uncle and friend.’
“We love you, we miss you every minute of every day. But we know that you live on in hope, in inspiration, in change, in dignity and respect,” she said. “On behalf of Darrin and our family, I thank everyone who has worked to create change and we look forward to the opening of the new patient tower in the years to come.”
The location of the room will be determined after the Patient Care Tower opens, which is currently scheduled for 2022.
We are recognizing a former patient, Darrin Yusishen, with a room named in his memory. The new tower being built at Royal Inland Hospital will help enhance patient care in the region. @Interior_Health #Kamloops #bchealth https://t.co/JS0SP1glEh pic.twitter.com/m7yzkaCJh9
— Adrian Dix (@adriandix) October 1, 2019
