A Calgary family is suing the WRHA, Shared Health and Concordia Hospital after they say their son was given an extreme drug overdose leading to brain damage.
A Calgary family is suing Concordia Hospital, Shared Health and the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, claiming that an extreme amount of sedative overdose led to their son’s permanent brain injury and amputation of both legs and a right hand.
Zachary Hoogerdyk visited Winnipeg in March 2024 for business purposes and to visit family. The statement of claim, filed on March 20, 2026 at the Manitoba Court of King’s Bench by Zachary’s father Edward Hoogerdyk and the government of Alberta, says he developed “cold or flu-like symptoms that were worsening, with difficulty breathing,” and visited Concordia Hospital’s Urgent Care on March 25, 2024.
The statement said Zachary, 23 years old at the time, was in good health, engaged to be married, and was working as a Red Seal Journeyman bricklayer.
The medical staff at the hospital decided to intubate him and administer propofol for sedation after diagnosing Zachary with hypoxia and influenza B.
However, due to the negligence of medical staff, Zachary received “a massive overdose of propofol, of about 12 to 60 times the dosage range that was safe and appropriate,” the claim read.
The claim said propofol should have been injected in the range of around 0.73 to 3.675 mg per minute, which would be around 17 to 84.5 mg for 23 minutes; however, approximately the entire container of 1,000 mg was injected within 23 minutes.
Bottle of propofol A bottle of propofol is seen in this undated photo. (CTV)
Due to the overdose, Zachary had a cardiac arrest and oxygen deprivation – causing a permanent anoxic brain injury and other medical problems, including the amputation of his right hand and both legs below the knee.
Edward, the WRHA and Shared Health all declined to comment as the matter is before the courts.
He was hospitalized at the Health Science Centre in Winnipeg between March and June 2024 because of cardiac arrest and brain injury, and was later transported to the intensive care unit of Peter Lougheed Centre in Calgary for further treatment at the family’s cost.
He now has permanent and profoundly impaired cognitive function, won’t be able to talk or communicate, unable to live independently, requiring constant care, supervision and help for the rest of his life, according to the claim.
Zachary is claiming general, special, punitive, aggravated and/or exemplary damages, and the cost of the legal proceedings.
As the Hoogerdyks live in Alberta, the Alberta government is claiming the cost of medical services that were already provided and will be provided to Zachary, with a pending amount.
Concordia Hospital The urgent care at Concordia Hospital is seen on March 27, 2026. (Harrison Shin/CTV News Winnipeg) Critical Incident Review
According to the claim, the hospital defendants – Concordia Hospital, Shared Health and the WRHA – confirmed the error.
On April 18, 2024, the WRHA sent Zachary’s fiancée and Edward a critical incident disclosure record, according to the claim. The record contained information that Zachary received an incorrect dose of propofol, and he experienced a cardiac arrest.
Around Sept. 6, 2024, representatives of hospital defendants met with Edward and provided additional information, including that Zachary received the “entire bottle of propofol within a short period of time.”
No statement of defence has been filed, and the claims have not been tested in court.