Lionel Moore was an announcer with CBC Manitoba for more than 30 years, working on radio and television.
March 5, 2026
Lionel Moore would never have guessed a visit to his eye doctor could have saved him from having a stroke or worse. But that’s exactly what happened.
In his career as an announcer with CBC Manitoba for more than 30 years, Moore told a lot of stories on radio and television. “Today, I wanted to share a couple of my own, in the hopes I can inspire others to support Cardiac Sciences and other important programs at St. Boniface Hospital,” said Moore.
He was having trouble with vision in his right eye in late 2023. His ophthalmologist did some tests and told Moore he thought there could be a problem with his ophthalmic artery. “But what really worried him was that a possible blockage in my right carotid artery in my neck, which supplies blood to the brain, could be the reason behind my vision problem,” he remembered.
“Lionel, if so, you could have a stroke at any minute,” the ophthalmologist warned. He asked Moore’s wife, Fran, to watch him closely at home for any sign of a stroke until he could get checked out, which he was just days later.
Sure enough, his carotid artery was almost completely blocked.
Soon after, in January 2024, Moore saw Dr. Randy Guzman in the Section of Vascular Surgery at the Hospital, and he performed the successful surgery.
“Compared with my two aortic valve replacements, the surgery felt like a piece of cake to me. But when I said so to my family doctor and cardiologist, they both told me I was darn lucky I didn’t have a stroke, a heart attack, or even brain damage during the surgery. Good thing I didn’t know that at the time,” he said.
Friend in Texas flagged leaking valve
Moore had his first aortic valve replaced in a six-hour open-heart operation performed by Dr. Keith Warrian at the Hospital in 2010.
“I am 86. I don’t worry much about expiry dates on food in the fridge, so I don’t worry about my own expiry date. I believe that when the Big Guy puts his hand on your shoulder, it’s time to go with him,” he reflected.
“I didn’t think I was scared. I was concerned but didn’t think I showed it. Once, before my surgery, I said, ‘I guess in six hours this will all be over.’”
“A nurse replied to me, ‘Everything will be OK. We have great, caring professionals here, you know.’ And she was right, of course.”
“I don’t worry much about expiry dates on food in the fridge, so I don’t worry about my own expiry date.”
For more than 20 years Fran and Lionel wintered for six months each year at the same place in Texas. While there, they befriended an Emergency physician they called Dr. Juan.
“One day in 2018, I went to talk to him because I was getting tired too quickly after riding my bicycle,” said Moore. “He checked me over and told me that my aortic valve from eight years prior could be leaking.”
As it turned out, Dr. Juan was right too. He told Moore it was in his best interest to fly home at once for treatment. At St. B, he was quickly checked over and had his failing tissue valve replaced with a new one that same year.
“Just after I was brought into the Intensive Care Unit, I was cared for by a very special nurse, a nice guy. He asked me how I was feeling, and I said, ‘My throat is so dry. Can I please have some water?’”
“He said, ‘Well, maybe juice would be better than plain water,’ which sounded great to me. So, he brought me a cold juice. I drank it down so quickly, I asked for a second one. He said I could have as many juices as I liked, and just to ask him,” he said.
“I have been truly blessed by the excellent care I have received at the Hospital over my many years. Sometimes, even those little things like a few cups of juice really mean so much for patient care; they make a difference. I loved that guy. I wanted to take him out after I got out of the Hospital and go for a chat or something, to thank him for caring.”