Outpouring of support for hospitalized Laurier coach
If it wasn’t for some concerned athletes, Wilfrid Laurier’s cross country and track coach doesn’t know if he would be alive today.
“I may not have made it,” said Peter Grinbergs from his room at Grand River Hospital on Sunday.
On Nov. 20, the 64-year-old coach was found by emergency services on the floor of his Kitchener apartment, after concerned runners and students called police.
Kyle Dekker, 30, is one of the athletes who contacted police after not hearing from Grinbergs for several days.
“I got a message from some athletes on the Laurier team and they told me that they hadn’t heard from him in a few days,” said Dekker, who has known Grinbergs for more than 10 years.
“I thought that was a little bit out of his character so I called the police.”
According to Grinbergs’ daughter, 31-year-old Sacha AdkinsGrinbergs, her father had been lying on the ground unable to move, eat, or drink, for days — although he can’t really remember what happened.
“He basically came back from a trip to Victoria with the Laurier cross-country team and after he came back he wasn’t feeling well,” she said.
“He has really severe gout and has for a very long time; (doctors) think it was a massive gout attack or it was triggered by being out of routine, not sleeping and (not) eating super well.” Gout is a form of arthritis. While he still isn’t able to walk without assistance, he’s recovering and in high spirits as he continues to receive care at Grand River Hospital.
“I’m still alive, kicking (and) smiling,” said Grinbergs, who has had a constant flow of visitors since being admitted.
“It’s like a train,” said Dekker with a laugh.
“You go in (to the hospital), you see someone else who’s just leaving and then, when you’re leaving, someone else is just coming in.”
Grinbergs’ daughter said it will be a long recovery as her father undergoes physiotherapy and adopts a healthier lifestyle.
At the urging of Grinbergs’ many friends, Adkins-Grinbergs created a GoFundMe Page to assist her father with medical expenses and to help with future moving costs.
Adkins-Grinbergs said her father will need to move into a more accessible living space as his mobility is limited.
As of Sunday afternoon — five days into the online fundraising campaign — nearly $27,000 had been donated by 246 people.
His daughter couldn’t believe it, and said it would be more than enough to help her father in his recovery.
It’s also an indication of how much of an impact her father has had on the people he’s coached over the years.
“His ability to connect with our student athletes is astounding,” said Ryan Lannan, manager of interuniversity sport programs at Laurier.
“Any time you talk to a student athlete who has gotten the chance to run and be coached by Peter, they often talk about the positive impact (he’s had) on their running career but also on their life.”
Grinbergs started at Laurier in 2009, but by then, already had extensive experience coaching cross country and track.
He is the co-ordinator of the Tri-Cities Track club and he has assisted a number of athletes in competing at the provincial, national and Olympic levels.