A life reimagined: How Franci Sterzer is transforming adversity into impact

Nearly three hours after her accident, while lying dazed in a hospital bed, a terrifying realization dawned on Franci Sterzer: she couldn’t move her toes. 

The gravity of the moment wouldn’t sink in right away, but it marked the beginning of a life forever changed. A sudden trauma to her spine left her paralyzed, forcing her to navigate an entirely new life. Years later, that pivotal experience formed the foundation of her mission: to improve patient care transitions through her startup SyncMed Technologies Inc. 

A life changed in an instant 

On a mild winter morning, after a freezing overnight winter rain in interior B.C., Franci Sterzer, BA'20, MSc'24, lost control of her truck with her three young children in the back. The truck rolled onto its roof and skidded nearly 100 meters down the road. Her children were shaken but not seriously harmed. Sterzer, however, wasn’t as fortunate. 

Paramedics airlifted her to a hospital in Cranbrook. Nearly three hours after her accident, while lying in the hospital bed, she realized for the first time that she couldn’t move her toes.

She was quickly airlifted to Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary, where it was confirmed, she had suffered a severe spinal cord injury at the C7 vertebra. At the age of only 33, the damage left the young mother paralyzed from the chest down. Doctors gave her only a three-per-cent chance of ever walking again.

The goal of walking again

Despite the devastating prognosis, Sterzer was determined to recover. With her husband, Karl, by her side, she explored every possible option. The couple even travelled to the United States searching for advanced treatments. Medical appointments filled her days. "Those days were incredibly difficult," says Sterzer. "My husband was my main source of strength. He kept me going. He was my best friend, my rock, and my love for him has only continued to grow since then."

Although there were small signs of improvement, progress was agonizingly slow. Sterzer began to reflect on what these years of effort were costing her. “I realized I was pouring everything into something that might never happen,” she recalls. “I was so tired trying to make my toes wiggle. I just really wanted to do something else with my life.” She was eager to refocus her energies.

From improvement of the body to improvement of the mind

Sterzer now eyed a lifelong goal of pursuing higher education. She began attending the University of Calgary after first earning her high school diploma.

University marked a new and exciting chapter in her life, with her family by her side all the while. Incredibly, Sterzer and all her children found themselves attending UCalgary at the same time. "I was actually in school with all three of my children at the University of Calgary," she recalls. "So, I’d see them and their partners in the hallways. It was so special!"

Originally, Sterzer had enrolled in business courses but changed after she took an introductory psychology course. “I took an optional psychology class, and I fell in love with psychology. Oh my gosh. I fell in love with it so much. And I was like, okay, I'm going to transfer,” she recalls.

Her love for psychology expanded during a human factors course with Dr. Jeff Caird, PhD, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, where she explored the intersection of design and accessibility. It was here that she realized that her own struggles navigating the world in a wheelchair weren’t just her problem; they were systemic, yet solvable. “The world could and should be designed to be more accessible,” she reflected. Looking for more, she began conducting research with Caird, initially while completing a BA in Applied Psychology and later an MSc in Human Factors Psychology.

From improvement of the mind to improvement of the world

Education provided Sterzer with an enhanced sense of self, belonging, and purpose. After years of working on improving herself, she looked to improve the world.

A serendipitous opportunity arose when Dr. Gudrun Reay, PhD, associate professor, Faculty of Nursing, presented a pressing problem needing a solution. “Dr. Reay was researching [in 2017-18] the communication practices between paramedics and hospital staff,” Sterzer explains. “She highlighted some of the challenges in capturing and handing off the data and insights paramedics gather. Efficient sharing of information across this transition influences the speed with which care can be given once in a hospital.”

This problem resonated with her in a big way. “I instantly got it,” she says. “12 hours had passed from the time of my accident until my first surgery. With a spinal cord injury, time is everything. The initial impact damages the spine, but the secondary swelling can worsen the injury. I often wonder if more efficient sharing of information might have accelerated my care and changed my outcome.”

Determined to improve it, Sterzer co-founded SyncMed Technologies Inc. with Master of Nursing student and company COO Kate Ewing and advanced care paramedic Brandon Blondeau, the company’s chief product officer (CPO). Supported by a growing transdisciplinary team, the company is focused on developing innovative solutions to improve how health-care providers share and manage patient information during transitions, ultimately reducing adverse outcomes and improving overall care quality.

“The mission of SyncMed isn’t just professional for me — it’s deeply personal,” she explains. “I want to help empower health-care workers with better tools to improve emergency patient care with enhanced information sharing during transitions and care”.

Real momentum towards real impact

As CEO of SyncMed, Sterzer is pushing to revolutionize health-care communication. Her team is developing a user-friendly software system designed to empower paramedics to collect, organize, and seamlessly share critical patient data. She hopes this tool will optimize hospital transitions by ensuring vital information is not just preserved but easily shared, improving patient outcomes at every step of care.

Sterzer credits their progress to an incredible network of support programs, mentors and collaborators at every turn. The SPARK program, funded by Alberta Innovates, helped SyncMed get off the ground. The BLG Business Venture Clinic out of the Faculty of Law, connected Franci with early-stage legal information from UCalgary law students like Abdul Abbas, BA, JD candidate. Now looking to accelerate the company’s progress, she’s been accepted into the Aeir program, the Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking’s academic entrepreneur mentorship program. In it she receives one-on-one support from previously successful academic entrepreneurs like Dr. Paula Berton, PhD. With the right support, SyncMed is refining its strategies and expanding its capacity to drive change.

Sterzer is busy looking for opportunities to engage with funding partners and health-care facilities eager to pilot their solutions. “We’re looking for more people who want to support this mission,” she says, “people who see the value in transforming patient care and are ready to help make it a reality.” With the right financial support and health-care partners, SyncMed hopes to enhance patient transition and care nationwide.

Sterzer’s journey serves as a powerful reminder of the opportunities that can emerge from adversity when matched with openness to new possibilities, drive for improvement, and reliance on the right support. As she reflects on the challenges she’s faced, she finds profound gratitude for her husband, growing family, friends, teachers, mentors and partners. Now she’s eager to give back.

“I’ve been through so much, but I’ve never felt alone,” she says. “Now, I have a chance to give back, to make a serious impact in other's lives. I'm excited to grow SyncMed to improve health care for people in emergency medical situations like I found myself in.”