Skiing mishap leaves Windsor man paralyzed
Online fundraising underway to help with medical expenses
A 24-year-old Windsor man catastrophically injured in a recent skiing accident now faces spending the rest of his life a paraplegic — plus hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical expenses.
Shawn Florence’s life was forever altered on the afternoon of Nov. 26 at the Pine Knob Ski & Snowboard Resort in Clarkston, Mich. A collision with a fence left him with permanent damage to his spine.
“I’m not totally sure exactly how it occurred,” Florence said at Windsor Regional Hospital on Thursday. “I have a loss of memory for about 15 or 20 seconds before the actual impact.
“I opened my eyes to see the ski patrol guys over my head, asking me questions.”
Florence was rushed to St. Joseph Mercy Oakland hospital in Pontiac. Doctors there confirmed his spinal cord had been completely severed at his mid-back vertebrae. He also suffered 13 broken ribs and a collapsed lung.
Spinal fusion surgery was necessary. Although the procedure was successful, the damage had been done: Florence is now paralyzed from his navel down, and will require assistance and mobility devices, such as a wheelchair, for the remainder of his life.
Along with that daunting prospect, Florence has also been saddled with major medical costs. At the beginning of the month, he was released from the Michigan hospital’s intensive care unit and transferred to Windsor Regional Hospital’s Ouellette Campus.
Now he and his family hope to move him to the Parkwood Institute at St. Joseph’s Health Care in London — a rehabilitation centre that specializes in helping spinal surgery patients re-train their bodies for as much independent living as possible.
Tiffany Laporte, Florence’s girlfriend, said his family is now looking at medical expenses in the “hundreds of thousands of dollars.”
That’s including U.S. medical bills the family has yet to receive, the cost of equipment necessary for Florence’s daily life, and the future costs of adapting his living arrangements to his new disability.
Laporte has started an online GoFundMe campaign on Florence’s behalf, with a stated goal of $150,000.
“(The Florence family) are not going to be able to afford this,” Laporte said.
Prior to the accident, Florence worked in information technology. He was employed by Kelcom, and was also studying computer science via University of Windsor online courses.
He’s a graduate of St. Clair College in computer systems technology.
He formerly attended Cardinal Carter Secondary School in Leamington.
Florence said he considered himself a decent skier, although not an expert. He hadn’t been to the Pine Knob resort before.
He said the run he’d be skiing was rated “black diamond” skill level.
“It’s a little bit more advanced. I had been down ‘black diamond’ runs in the past with no issue,” Florence said.
As for what the future holds, Florence said he’s going to stay positive.
“Mentally, I’m doing very well,” he said.
“Physically, I can’t feel anything from my waist down, and I’m still in quite a bit of pain. But I can move around a little bit, and get into a wheelchair with help.
“We’re trying to do some exercising to build up some muscle strength.”
He’s hopeful about gaining acceptance to the Parkwood Institute, where more extensive relearning and rehabilitative work can take place.
Florence said he’s grateful for the support of the community.
Asked how he keeps his spirits up in the face of such a traumatic life-change, he replied: “Pretty much just understanding that it happened. It can happen to anybody, really. “It’s an accident.” Laporte said she doesn’t know anyone else who could have such a positive outlook, given the circumstances.
“He’s being very optimistic, considering the situation he’s in,” Laporte said.
“When you see someone go through the absolute worst, and every day they’re getting better and they still have a smile on their face — it’s really hard to be negative.
“Shawn is taking it as a challenge, which is the ultimate, best thing that you can do.”
To make an online donation to help the Florence family, visit www. gofundme.com/gofundshawn.