Andrew van der Westhuizen, 36, died on Thursday following an accident in the city on May 11. He was cycling on a divided multi-use path when he collided with a commercial vehicle turning across the path. After being airlifted to Vancouver for surgery, he succumbed to his injuries on June 30. His wife, two children and many colleagues are reeling from the loss of the former radiologist whose death has an impact on the entire community.
Wider loss to the community
BC’s health care system is facing staff shortages that have led to closures and cancellations across the province. Dr. Vedd Vipal, the head of medical imaging at the Royal Inland Hospital, worked closely with Andrew. He says losing a doctor, especially a specialist, is a “huge loss” to the community and managing an already strained health care situation will be a struggle. “We’re going to be able to move on. It’s going to be tough. It’s going to be a challenge.” Jen and Andrew van der Westhuizen had a history of cycling with their family. (Submitted by Jen van der Westhuizen) Stephanie Hintz, ultrasound technologist, said Andrew was a huge asset to the team and will be greatly missed, not only by the staff he worked with, but also by his patients. “He was one of the few doctors I’ve ever worked with who really connected with patients … he was always able to show that he cared.”
Grateful for the time we spent together
Andrew’s wife, Jen van der Westhuizen, said that during the seven weeks he was in hospital in Vancouver, the couple communicated mostly through video chat and through hand movements and facial expressions. “He was blowing… kisses and ‘I’d say, does your mouth hurt?’ And he’d shake his head and I’d say, ‘Are you giving me kisses?’ And he’d say, ‘Yes,’ nodding.” She said her husband would ask with gestures about the type of care she was receiving and how his children were doing. “He had a lot of injuries that we were very optimistic he could pull through, and if anyone could do it, it was him.” Despite his good health when admitted to the hospital, repeated surgeries and complications associated with long-term intensive care took their toll. “All the little bits between the infections, the waste, the depletion of nutrients, all the secondary stuff combined with, obviously, the initial trauma… it was just too much.” Andrew van der Westhuizen was a keen cyclist before his accident. (Submitted by Jen van der Westhuizen) In the run-up to Andrew’s death, Jen said she had a series of conversations with their six-year-old daughter — explaining first that she was working to get back home and later that it didn’t look like she was going to be able to do that. “We had a huge shout.” Jen said she just tries to surround her children with love and openness. They have been spending time with extended family to get additional support for the past seven weeks.
‘gentle giant’
Beyond his professional life, Andrew had become a staple of the neighborhood where he lived. Neighbor Brittany Robinson said the year the van der Westhuizens lived in Kamloops, they were able to form a close friendship. “Gentle Giant is the perfect description of it,” he said. “He was new to Juniper, but he won’t be forgotten up there…His presence will last for a long, long, long time.” Jen said she has been overwhelmed by the comments and support from colleagues and friends following his death. “I loved him for who he was and I knew he was an amazing person, but hearing just little words of encouragement that he would offer someone … his absence is really felt in a lot of places.” Her social media posts have hundreds of comments offering support and expressing loss. In June, RCMP determined that speed was a primary factor in the crash. Daybreak Kamloops3:54 Kamloops family shares Juniper bike crash story A Kamloops bicyclist is still in hospital in Vancouver after colliding with a truck on Highland Drive a month ago, and his family is calling for changes.
