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An Ottawa wife, mother and former public servant who lost both her legs after being run over by a snowplow shared her extraordinary story of survival and recovery at a charity dinner and auction held Wednesday for The Rehabilitation Centre Volunteer Association.
Karen Toop had been walking home from work, huddled deep inside her winter parka, after a typical bus ride to Ottawa’s west end when the harrowing accident occurred on Jan. 24, 2012, while she was crossing the intersection at Woodroffe Avenue and Iris Street. “In the blink of an eye, my whole life changed,” heard the 185-person crowd of volunteers, staff and former patients from The Ottawa Hospital Rehabilitation Centre, as well as sponsors from the legal profession and medical rehabilitation community.
From left, triage nurse Anne Berry from The Ottawa Hospital Rehabilitation Centre with guest speaker and double amputee Karen Toop and Brian Berry, past president of The Rehabilitation Centre Volunteer Association board, at the 17th annual charity auction and dinner held Wednesday, May 18, 2016, at the St. Elias Centre.
“I was in so much pain I thought I would die. I remember saying to the paramedic, ‘Tell my son I love him’.”
Toop was later told she was one of the worst cases ever seen at The Ottawa Hospital. It pulled together its best medical team and managed to save her, at the Civic Campus. “I was more than just a patient; I was a priority. They rebuilt my lower body and helped me reconstruct my life as I adapted to my new reality.
“I may have lost half my body but I’m still a whole person.”
The dinner, held at the St. Elias Centre, raised funds to help current and former patients of The Rehab Centre, relating to the purchase of assistive devices, medical devices and medical treatment that patients wouldn’t be able to otherwise afford. On hand were lead organizer and TRCVA board vice chair Ines Jelic, a lawyer at Burke-Robertson, and her colleague Ted Masters, who’s also on the board. Community builder Dave Smith handled both the live auction and the treasure chest prize raffle.
From left, Brian Berry, past board president of The Rehabilitation Centre Volunteer Association, with board member and lawyer Ted Masters (Burke-Robertson LLP), lawyer Frank McNally (main sponsor McNally Gervan LPP) and Ines Jelic, also a board member and lawyer (Burke-Robertson), at the 17th annual Spring into Motion charity auction and dinner, held at the St. Elias Centre on Wednesday, May 18, 2016.
Community builder Dave Smith handled both the live auction and the treasure chest prize raffle at the Spring into Motion auction and dinner for The Rehabilitation Centre Volunteer Association, held at the St. Elias Centre on Wednesday, May 18, 2016.
Toop’s inspiring story of courage, strength and resilience was told both through a tear-jerking video produced through The Ottawa Hospital Foundation and by Toop herself as the dinner’s guest speaker. She attended with her husband, Harvey, and their nine-year-old son, Ryan.
Toop remained in hospital for nearly two years, undergoing complex surgeries and extensive rehabilitation due to the loss of her legs and half her pelvis. A confidential settlement was reached with the City of Ottawa last year over the accident.
The room heard how the double amputee went from lying flat on her back in a hospital bed, only able to slightly and briefly lift her head, to re-building her strength and cardio so that she could eventually return home to her family and live “a more or less normal life” in a wheelchair. Toop credited her support group of doctors, nurses, physical and occupational therapists, and her psychologist for lifting her spirits and giving her hope as she overcame her obstacles.
While at The Rehab Centre, Toop took up woodworking and was able to go gliding, sailing and fishing. “All of these activities gave me the confidence to feel that I would be able to go out into the world and live the full and active life that I’m living today,” said Toop, who enjoys watching her son’s soccer games, helping him with his homework and going out to the movies.
The Toop family was fortunate enough to have adequate insurance as it tackled its many steep bills relating to modifications to the home, the purchases of a special wheelchair, shower chair and accessible van, and other related costs. Said Toop: “I may be fortunate to have these expenses mostly covered by insurance, but many don’t.”
Carolyn001@sympatico.ca
查看原文...
Karen Toop had been walking home from work, huddled deep inside her winter parka, after a typical bus ride to Ottawa’s west end when the harrowing accident occurred on Jan. 24, 2012, while she was crossing the intersection at Woodroffe Avenue and Iris Street. “In the blink of an eye, my whole life changed,” heard the 185-person crowd of volunteers, staff and former patients from The Ottawa Hospital Rehabilitation Centre, as well as sponsors from the legal profession and medical rehabilitation community.
From left, triage nurse Anne Berry from The Ottawa Hospital Rehabilitation Centre with guest speaker and double amputee Karen Toop and Brian Berry, past president of The Rehabilitation Centre Volunteer Association board, at the 17th annual charity auction and dinner held Wednesday, May 18, 2016, at the St. Elias Centre.
“I was in so much pain I thought I would die. I remember saying to the paramedic, ‘Tell my son I love him’.”
Toop was later told she was one of the worst cases ever seen at The Ottawa Hospital. It pulled together its best medical team and managed to save her, at the Civic Campus. “I was more than just a patient; I was a priority. They rebuilt my lower body and helped me reconstruct my life as I adapted to my new reality.
“I may have lost half my body but I’m still a whole person.”
The dinner, held at the St. Elias Centre, raised funds to help current and former patients of The Rehab Centre, relating to the purchase of assistive devices, medical devices and medical treatment that patients wouldn’t be able to otherwise afford. On hand were lead organizer and TRCVA board vice chair Ines Jelic, a lawyer at Burke-Robertson, and her colleague Ted Masters, who’s also on the board. Community builder Dave Smith handled both the live auction and the treasure chest prize raffle.
From left, Brian Berry, past board president of The Rehabilitation Centre Volunteer Association, with board member and lawyer Ted Masters (Burke-Robertson LLP), lawyer Frank McNally (main sponsor McNally Gervan LPP) and Ines Jelic, also a board member and lawyer (Burke-Robertson), at the 17th annual Spring into Motion charity auction and dinner, held at the St. Elias Centre on Wednesday, May 18, 2016.
Community builder Dave Smith handled both the live auction and the treasure chest prize raffle at the Spring into Motion auction and dinner for The Rehabilitation Centre Volunteer Association, held at the St. Elias Centre on Wednesday, May 18, 2016.
Toop’s inspiring story of courage, strength and resilience was told both through a tear-jerking video produced through The Ottawa Hospital Foundation and by Toop herself as the dinner’s guest speaker. She attended with her husband, Harvey, and their nine-year-old son, Ryan.
Toop remained in hospital for nearly two years, undergoing complex surgeries and extensive rehabilitation due to the loss of her legs and half her pelvis. A confidential settlement was reached with the City of Ottawa last year over the accident.
The room heard how the double amputee went from lying flat on her back in a hospital bed, only able to slightly and briefly lift her head, to re-building her strength and cardio so that she could eventually return home to her family and live “a more or less normal life” in a wheelchair. Toop credited her support group of doctors, nurses, physical and occupational therapists, and her psychologist for lifting her spirits and giving her hope as she overcame her obstacles.
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From left, triage nurse Anne Berry from The Ottawa Hospital Rehabilitation Centre with guest speaker and double amputee Karen Toop and Brian Berry, past president of The Rehabilitation Centre Volunteer Association board, at the 17th annual charity auction and dinner held Wednesday, May 18, 2016, at the St. Elias Centre. Caroline Phillips / Ottawa Citizen
Community builder Dave Smith handled both the live auction and the treasure chest prize raffle at the Spring into Motion auction and dinner for The Rehabilitation Centre Volunteer Association, held at the St. Elias Centre on Wednesday, May 18, 2016. Caroline Phillips / Ottawa Citizen
From left, lawyer Greg Gilhooly (McNally Gervan LLP) with Pat Fleming (Fleming Fitness) and Vik Dhawan (Apollo Physical Therapy Centre) at the 17th annual Spring into Motion charity auction and dinner held at the St. Elias Centre on Wednesday, May 18, 2016, in support of The Rehabilitation Centre Volunteer Association. Caroline Phillips / Ottawa Citizen
From left, volunteer Selin Kum with Lindy Rosko, board president of The Rehabilitation Centre Volunteer Association, and volunteer Pulan Wang at the 17th annual Spring into Motion charity auction and dinner, held Wednesday, May 18, 2016, at the St. Elias Centre. Caroline Philips / Ottawa Citizen
From left, co-owners Shannon McGrath and Fiona Smith Bradley of Modern Occupational Therapy Services at the 17th annual Spring into Motion charity auction and dinner, held at the St. Elias Centre on Wednesday, May 18, 2016. Caroline Philips / Ottawa Citizen
Guest speaker and double amputee Karen Toop, former patient of The Ottawa Hospital Rehabilitation Centre, shared her story of surviving a life-changing accident with attendees of the 17th annual Spring Into Motion charity auction and dinner held at the St. Elias Centre on Wednesday, May 18, 2016. Caroline Philips / Ottawa Citizen
Lawyer Linden Dales (Conlin Bedard LLP) with lawyers Sophia Irish and Bianca Bielecki (Auger Hollingsworth LLP) at the 17th annual Spring into Motion charity auction and dinner held at the St. Elias Centre on Wednesday, May 18, 2016. Caroline Phillips / Ottawa Citizen
From left, Brian Berry, past board president of The Rehabilitation Centre Volunteer Association, with board member and lawyer Ted Masters (Burke-Robertson LLP), lawyer Frank McNally (main sponsor McNally Gervan LPP) and Ines Jelic, also a board member and lawyer (Burke-Robertson), at the 17th annual Spring into Motion charity auction and dinner, held at the St. Elias Centre on Wednesday, May 18, 2016. Caroline Phillips / Ottawa Citizen
From left, civil litigation lawyers Ted Masters and Eric Williams at the 17th annual Spring into Motion charity auction and dinner held at the St. Elias Centre to help improve the quality of life for trauma patients at The Ottawa Hospital Rehabilitation Centre. Caroline Philips / Ottawa Citizen
Guest speaker and double amputee Karen Toop, former patient of The Ottawa Hospital Rehabilitation Centre, shared her story of surviving a life-changing accident with attendees of the 17th annual Spring Into Motion charity auction and dinner held at the St. Elias Centre on Wednesday, May 18, 2016. Caroline Phillips / Ottawa Citizen
Ottawa artist Russ Paquette donated one of his paintings, Autumn in the Glebe, to the silent auction at the 17th annual Spring into Motion charity auction and dinner for The Rehabilitation Centre Volunteer Association, held at the St. Elias Centre on Wednesday, May 18, 2016. Caroline Phillips / Ottawa Citizen
Guest speaker and double amputee Karen Toop, former patient of The Ottawa Hospital Rehabilitation Centre, with her husband, Harvey, and their son, Ryan, nine, at the 17th annual Spring Into Motion charity auction and dinner held at the St. Elias Centre on Wednesday, May 18, 2016. Caroline Phillips / Ottawa Citizen
While at The Rehab Centre, Toop took up woodworking and was able to go gliding, sailing and fishing. “All of these activities gave me the confidence to feel that I would be able to go out into the world and live the full and active life that I’m living today,” said Toop, who enjoys watching her son’s soccer games, helping him with his homework and going out to the movies.
The Toop family was fortunate enough to have adequate insurance as it tackled its many steep bills relating to modifications to the home, the purchases of a special wheelchair, shower chair and accessible van, and other related costs. Said Toop: “I may be fortunate to have these expenses mostly covered by insurance, but many don’t.”
Carolyn001@sympatico.ca
查看原文...
