The family of a Maple Ridge man remains in a legal battle to keep him on life support, raising funds to transfer him to a hospital in the United States for advanced care. The 39-year-old suffered cardiac arrest, brain trauma, and kidney failure after an incident on August 30. The case is now under investigation by the Independent Investigations Office of BC (IIO), which is reviewing the involvement of Ridge Meadows RCMP.
“Stevie is still on life support at Royal Columbian, and we are facing overwhelming medical and legal costs to give him every chance,” said his sister. “His six children, including two with autism, are holding onto hope and need their father.”
Police reported that at about 4:30 a.m., officers responded to a call regarding a man screaming and appearing in distress in the 20900-block of Lougheed Highway. Witnesses said he was walking into traffic. Officers found the man lying in traffic. He was unresponsive to verbal communication and hitting his head on the ground. Police called BC Emergency Health Services for support and attempted to manage the situation until paramedics arrived. During the encounter, the man went into medical distress. Officers provided emergency aid before he was transported to hospital by ambulance.
The patient, an iron worker and father of six from Laity Street, remains alive due to a court injunction obtained by his family to keep him on life support. His family spans both sides of the Canada-U.S. border. Stevie holds dual citizenship, which the family hopes will allow a transfer to a U.S. hospital. Differences in how brain death is defined in Canada and the U.S. give the family hope that he could receive life-saving care south of the border. Even if the chances of recovery are slim, the family wants to give him every opportunity to wake up. “They’re trying to rule him brain dead, and we’re fighting that,” his sister said. “In the States, he has more of a fighting chance.”
The family is considering options for the transfer, including California, where his sister and mother live, or New Jersey, where they believe he could get the best care for his condition. The cost of transferring Stevie could reach $70,000, with additional legal fees required to maintain the court injunction keeping him on life support. The family has started a fundraising campaign through GoFundMe to cover these expenses.
The IIO has asked any witnesses who have not yet provided statements, or anyone with video footage of the incident, to come forward. They can contact the IIO toll-free at 1-855-446-8477 or through the contact form on iiobc.ca. The family’s fight highlights the challenges families face when life support decisions intersect with legal, medical, and international boundaries. They remain committed to giving Stevie every chance for recovery, despite the medical uncertainties.
