Another Chance at Life — Right Here at Home
Tim Clancy still remembers walking into the operating room.
“Walking into the operating room, it wasn’t what I expected at all. There was equipment everywhere and people moving in and out, each with a role to play. But instead of making me nervous, it gave me comfort. I could see the whole team working together for me.”
At 47 years old, Tim, a dedicated realtor, proud husband to Jamie, and resident of Codys, New Brunswick, has lived with heart disease his entire life.
Born with a congenital defect called coarctation of the aorta, Tim underwent surgery at just three years old at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. In fact, he was the first child at that centre to undergo that particular repair, a groundbreaking moment that gave him the chance to grow up, build a career, and create a life he loves.
For decades, he was followed by cardiologists. Life moved forward. Work. Marriage. Community. Everything felt stable.
Until a routine scan changed everything.
“It was supposed to be routine,” Tim recalls. “But when the phone rang quickly after, I knew something was up.”
The scan revealed a large and unstable aneurysm near his heart, a serious and potentially life-threatening condition. The challenge? Scar tissue from his childhood surgery made this case far more complex than usual.
Tim met with several specialists before ultimately sitting down with cardiac surgeon Dr. Gupta. The message was clear: this couldn’t wait.
In many cases like Tim’s, surgery would involve cooling the body and temporarily stopping blood flow to the body (and sometimes the brain), a technique that, while effective, carries significant risks and often requires a longer, more difficult recovery.
Because of Tim’s previous repair and the complexity of his anatomy, the traditional route wasn’t ideal.
So, Dr. Gupta and the Horizon cardiac team, along with the interventional radiology team, did something extraordinary.
They transformed a standard interventional radiology suite at Saint John Regional Hospital into a makeshift Hybrid OR, combining advanced imaging capabilities with open-heart surgical precision.
First, Tim underwent a left carotid-subclavian bypass procedure in late summer 2025 to prepare for the main operation. Just weeks later, he returned for the second stage, the complex aneurysm repair itself.
The hybrid approach allowed surgeons to visualize his anatomy in real time using advanced imaging while operating, avoiding the need to stop blood flow to his brain or body. The result? Lower risk. Greater precision. Faster recovery.
For Tim, the faster recovery was particularly important. In addition to his work as a realtor, he plays a critical role in the daily operation of Lily's Place Animal Sanctuary. A lengthy recovery would have significantly affected the physical work required to care for the animals and maintain the property. The hybrid approach helped him begin returning to those responsibilities sooner while reducing the risks associated with a more invasive traditional procedure.
“The way Dr. Gupta structured the surgery allowed me to recover quicker and with fewer complications,” Tim says. “I was out of ICU the next morning. That’s incredible.”
Instead of spending days sedated in intensive care, Tim was sitting up the following morning and home within a week.
His surgery was only possible because of extraordinary teamwork, creativity, and resourcefulness.
“For me, it meant another chance at life,” he says. “I know that the way they did it is the reason I was able to recover more quickly. But it’s not just about me. This kind of surgery could help so many others.”
Today, Tim continues to regain his strength and gradually return to the work he loves. Alongside Jamie, he is getting back to the daily responsibilities of caring for the animals at Lily's Place Animal Sanctuary and continuing the charitable work they built together after moving to New Brunswick.
Learn More About Lily's Place Animal Sanctuary
Lily's Place Animal Sanctuary is a registered Canadian charity co-founded by Tim and Jamie Clancy. Located in New Brunswick, the sanctuary provides lifelong care for aging, injured, and displaced farm animals while supporting people facing difficult circumstances through owner surrender programs and compassionate animal care.
Learn more or support their work at: