Judge Gerald Pash walks through the halls of Vernon Jubilee Hospital鈥檚 Polson Tower in search of Aletta Upton鈥檚 room. It鈥檚 her special day 鈥� one she has been anticipating for eight years.

As Pash approaches the door to Upton鈥檚 room, her son Ken steps out to greet him. Pash dons his ceremonial gown, and enters the room, filled with family, friends, Aletta laying on the hospital bed and Canadian flag souvenirs on the white walls. Aletta is ready to take the oath of citizenship. She鈥檚 ready to be a Canadian.

鈥淓leven days ago, my mother had a doctor鈥檚 appointment, and I picked her up at her apartment,鈥� Ken said after the ceremony. 鈥淪he didn鈥檛 come down, didn鈥檛 answer the call, I found her unconscious in her bed.鈥�

Ken rushed his mother to the hospital, where it was discovered that Aletta had suffered a ruptured aneurysm.

鈥淲e were told the chances were quite poor that she would survive,鈥� Ken said. 鈥淲e actually went as far as arranging a funeral. I got my sister to come from Australia. The day before she arrived, it looked like she might not get here in time.鈥�

But Aletta rallied and regained consciousness.

鈥淭he first question she asked was can we let them know in Penticton that she won鈥檛 make the (citizenship) ceremony,鈥� said Ken. 鈥淚 think it was important to her. It was weird that that was the first thing she asked 鈥� I was surprised.鈥�

Aletta, originally from Cape Town, South Africa, has been living in Canada since 2009. In July, she will turn 89.

鈥淚t鈥檚 very exciting for us. We鈥檝e been here for 25 years and her grandchildren are here, so she鈥檚 pleased to become a Canadian herself.鈥�

As Pash finished the ceremony with the singing of O Canada, Aletta appeared tired. But since regaining consciousness, she has been improving every day.

鈥淎fter a week of not eating anything, she was quite weak. But (she) has now regained her strength quite enormously and seems to have made some progress.

鈥淭oday, she became a Canadian citizen.鈥�