‘Get as much out of life as you can’
Why a former Shawville hockey player chose experimental surgery
Former Shawville junior hockey player Brett Nugent is the second Canadian quadriplegic to have experimental surgery to restore movement to his hand.
Nugent, 20, underwent nerve transfer surgery in his left arm last month at The Ottawa Hospital’s Civic Campus.
Like Tim Raglin, who had the surgery the day before, Nugent now faces a six- to nine-month wait before he knows whether the surgery has succeeded in restoring his ability to use his thumb and index finger.
“It’s just going to be a bonus whatever movement I get, so the whole waiting thing really doesn’t bother me,” he says.
Being able to pinch his thumb and finger would give Nugent the ability to do things like cut a steak, pull up a zipper and hold a glass without spilling. “Being able to grasp things would be a big deal,” he says. “Right now, I use my teeth to open a bottle cap.”
Nugent suffered a spinal cord injury near the base of his neck during the first period of a Shawville Pontiacs game in October 2013. He was sent off-balance into the boards at high speed and didn’t have time to brace for the collision.
He was in hospital for six weeks then spent five months at The Ottawa Hospital Rehabilitation Centre.
For the past year, Nugent has worked as assistant general manager of the Shawville Junior ‘B’ hockey team.
“I obviously wanted to stick around the rink so just being able to be part of the insider stuff made it more interesting, more fun,” he says.
Nugent intends to pursue a commerce degree and has applied to several universities to begin studies in the fall.
He opted for nerve transfer surgery after having the procedure carefully explained. “You want to get as much out of life as you can,” he says. “Growing up, you’re so used to being independent and helping others. Now you have to depend on others to help you with things … But I don’t like being babied.”