The family of Canadian actor Mamie Laverock, best known for her role in When Calls the Heart, said she did not intentionally fall from the fifth storey balcony of a Vancouver, B.C. hospital last week.
Laverock, 19, was initially hospitalized on May 11 for an undisclosed medical condition but was later placed on life support after her fall on May 26. The actor’s family said Laverock sustained life-threatening injuries when she was escorted out of a secure medical unit at St. Paul’s Hospital and brought to a balcony walkway, where she fell.
On Thursday, Laverock’s mother Nicole Rockmann told the Los Angeles Times that Laverock “just opened her eyes” and was “doing well” in the hospital.
“Let’s just hope this is the turnaround and she’s going to get through this now,” Rockmann told the publication. “I couldn’t be happier that people reached out and cared. The story will be told.”
Initial reports about Laverock’s hospital fall led to speculation that she may have attempted suicide. Her family maintains that is not the case.
Rockmann said the family plans to take legal action against St. Paul’s hospital over alleged negligence.
“We have a case,” Rockmann maintained. “All we care about is that Mamie can make a recovery and that she’s alive, she’s fighting and that she’s strong. It’s unbelievable that she’s with us.”
Vancouver Coastal Health, the regional health authority, has not replied to Global News requests for comment.
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Providence Health Care, which oversees St. Paul’s Hospital, has also not responded but confirmed to the LA Times that an “incident” did occur at the hospital. A spokesperson said they are investigating what happened in order to make recommendations for improved patient safety.
“Our hearts go out to the patient, family, and all affected by this event, and offer our best wishes for a full recovery,” the Providence spokesperson said.
Laverock’s family established a GoFundMe page last month to support the actor, who portrayed nursing student Rosaleen Sullivan in nine episodes of When Calls the Heart.
They wrote on the page that Laverock suffered a “medical emergency” on May 11 and was hospitalized. The family said Rockmann travelled to Winnipeg to help Laverock and “was able to get there in time to save her life.”
Laverock was later transferred to St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver where she was held in the intensive care unit but was “showing signs of improvement.”
The reason for the hospital transfer is unclear. Laverock’s condition significantly worsened after her balcony fall. Her parents wrote their daughter’s body was “shattered.”
In an update shared to the GoFundMe page, the parents said Laverock has undergone several surgeries in the last week, including two 11-hour procedures.
“We have nothing but gratitude for the doctors and nurses who have been exemplary in her care since May 26,” Rockmann wrote.
She said Laverock is still enduring “tremendous pain.”
Rockmann clarified that Laverock is no longer at St. Paul’s Hospital and has been transferred to a trauma centre. The family’s GoFundMe has already surpassed its $30,000 goal.
Many of Laverock’s When Calls the Heart co-stars, as well as the Hallmark Channel which airs the Western drama, promoted the donation page on social media and sent well wishes to the actor’s family.
Laverock’s other acting credits include This Means War and The Hollow Child. She last appeared on When Calls the Heart in 2023, during the show’s 10th season.
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