CASEY DELANEY

TRAUMA SURVIVOR

On Canada Day in 2018, I was enjoying a beautiful day on the river in Gatineau, lounging on an inflatable raft with friends, including my boyfriend at the time, Scott. As a kindergarten teacher, I relish these

relaxing summer days.

Then suddenly, a personal watercraft was zipping around us, trying to get our attention. The driver suddenly lost

control and hit our group — I took the brunt of the impact.

RUSHED TO THE OTTAWA HOSPITAL

I lost consciousness, but thankfully Scott had CPR training and a couple of my girlfriends were nurses — if it wasn’t for their quick thinking and their immediate care, I’m not sure where I’d be today.

I was rushed to a hospital in Gatineau, but because of the extent of my injuries and the complexity of my case, I was transferred to the Trauma Centre at the Civic Campus of The Ottawa Hospital. Once I arrived, my loved ones learned I

had suffered a traumatic brain injury. It didn’t look good for me.

To relieve the pressure and allow my brain to swell, an expert team performed a double craniectomy, skillfully removing two large portions of my skull — one of each side of my head. Then, I was put into a medically induced coma.

WEEKS OF UNCERTAINTY

Scott and my family waited day and night for news — would I make it? Would I ever walk again, use my arms, or even remember my loved ones? Would I ever make it back to my sweet kindergarteners?

I remained in the ICU in a coma for two weeks, and when I woke, there were signs of hope.

While I had issues with walking at first and there was weakness in my right side, the fact that I was taking steps at all was amazing progress. I had trouble with memory and balance, which required special care, but just like my walking, I started to improve.

The trauma team had saved my life, but my journey wasn’t over. Next, I was transferred to The Ottawa Hospital’s specialized brain injury rehabilitation program — one of only a handful like it in the province.

There, I was cared for by a collaborative and specialized team including nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, psychologists, social workers, speech-language pathologists, and more who helped me to learn to live independently again.

I attended fine motor skills classes, which seemed silly to me at the time because that’s what I teach my kindergarten students. But looking back, it was something I struggled with.

Then after those touch-and-go moments in the Trauma Centre, the ICU, and two months of rehab, I finally got to go home.

The Ottawa Hospital gave me the chance to finally say “yes” when Scott asked me to marry him, and we recently welcomed our first child into the world — at the Civic Campus, of course.

While my journey was intense and challenging, it was filled with hope and

expert care. I’m truly grateful the hospital allowed me to have this beautiful future.