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There is no hiding the scars on Silken Laumann’s tanned leg. More than 20 years after the injury that almost ended her international rowing career, there is still a misshapen chunk missing from her calf. She spoke about that injury during a talk to a group of parents at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital last … Continue reading
My office is strewn with file folders. I can’t turn around without rolling over some vital document. The recycling under my desk is so full I can’t straighten my legs. My desk is covered with a mess of papers that were once distinct, important piles. Although I would never claim to be the tidiest person, … Continue reading
Wanted: energetic and enthusiastic person who likes like swimming, boating and being outdoors. Must be patient, have experience with children and comfortable “living-in” in separate accommodations during the week. Pay negotiable. Sounds like a great summer job, doesn’t it? Shouldn’t be hard to fill. Oh, did I mention must be strong enough to lift a … Continue reading
“Do you think you will need some assistance when you go home?” the outplacement co-ordinator asked me. Although my bullheaded instinct is to always say we can handle it, this time I hesitated. I was sitting in a team meeting about half way through my son’s 80-day rehabilitation from hip surgery. “What kind of assistance?” … Continue reading
Yesterday, a statue was unveiled near the starting line of the Boston Marathon. The statue, titled Yes You Can, is dedicated to Dick and Rick Hoyt who will compete in their 31st Boston Marathon next week. Running the oldest annual marathon every year for three decades is inspirational enough. Competing once again at their respective … Continue reading
“Sweet! Can I sit in it?” It’s not the usual reaction you get to a commode – even a new one. But it’s typical of our daughter’s attitude to the equipment that surrounds our life. She will lock herself in Deane’s stander to have a snack in front of the TV. As soon as … Continue reading
The expression “It takes a village to raise a child” has always conjured up a very specific image in my mind. The picture in my head is of a child in an African village who is looked after not only by parents, but by grandparents, older siblings, extended family members and close friends. He or … Continue reading
I’m celebrating my second New Year’s Eve in the hospital. Dec. 31, 2012, passed with barely a cheer. Tonight, we are anticipating the real beginning of our New Year – going home. While New Year’s is about looking forward, it is also a time for reflecting on what has gone before. Here, on our second … Continue reading
Deane is being discharged on Friday – 80 days after his hip surgery. It has been quite a journey: the oxygen masks, the suction tubes, the abduction wedge, the knee immobilizers, the physio, the NG tubes, the minced food, the pressure sore, the in-house school and the recreation; Christmas, New Year’s and my birthday; the … Continue reading
On the wall of his bedroom, hangs a large collage of pictures. There’s Deane as an infant in his father’s arms, as a six-year-old on a carousel in Paris, meeting the Raptor – the mascot of his favourite basketball team, skiing with the family, tubing with his cousins and him with many friends. I made … Continue reading
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