Injured recycler conscious and recuperating
The Governor of Georgestown was conscious and responsive as of Thursday night.
That news came Friday from actordirector Ruth Lawrence, who lives in the Georgestown area of St. John’s. Lawrence started a fundraiser last week to help Wayne Skinner, who was knocked to the ground in an accident on Macdonald Drive two weeks ago.
Skinner got his nickname when he was collecting bottles and cans from the Georgestown Pub on Hayward Avenue. When curbside recycling arrived in 2008, he — like a handful of similar entrepreneurs — expanded his rounds to include private dwellings.
“He comes a couple of times a week, and we always have a short conversation, if not a longer one,” Lawrence said in a phone call Friday. “If the weather’s bad, he comes in, warms up, dries off a bit. And like many on his route, we’re happy to provide a drink or a snack for him along the way. He’s a fine fellow, and we really miss seeing him.”
Lawrence’s gofundme site has been a spectacular success.
She set a goal of $5,000 and watched as $7,700 rolled in over the span of 24 hours. The total is now near $13,000.
“It’s extraordinary,” she said, adding that area resident David Thompson had already raised $1,000 for the cause.
“He’ll need it all because he’s going to be out of commission for a little while.”
Police talked to the driver of a grey Hyundai Elantra involved in the April 30 accident, but are still looking for witnesses.
While Skinner, 63, received only cuts and bruises on his body, he received a serious knock on the head. He had been kept in an artificial coma to help let things heal, but doctors decided to slowly take him off sedatives in the past few days.
“Last night, Wayne was fully conscious and was responding to the people around him,” Lawrence said.
“We’re just so delighted people stepped forward to help,” she added.
And not all of the assistance has been monetary. There have been offers to fix any damage to his cart, which is being stored by police, and to set up an account whereby people can drop off their own recycling in his name.
The fundraising site is online at https://www.gofundme.com/f/waynes-world-of-friends-and-supporters.