Two injured SW Ontario paramedics back in Canada

Two Southwestern Ontario paramedics are back in Canada after a serious all-terrain vehicle crash in Costa Rica earlier this month.

Sarah Henderson, a Chathamkent paramedic, and her wife, Venessa Sidelnyk, a London paramedic, were on a family holiday when the incident occurred, according to an online fundraiser created for the couple.

Sidelnyk sustained broken ribs and spinal trauma, while Henderson suffered severe head trauma and the family scrambled to make arrangements to fly them home by air ambulance.

They arrived back in Ontario this week. Henderson is recovering at home, while Sidelnyk is in a St. Thomas hospital.

Henderson has a future date with a neurologist, while Sidelnyk has “confirmed fractures of her L3 and L4 (vertebrae),” the Gofundme post read, adding the aim was to find proper pain management and arrange physiotherapy.

Amy Heyninck Da Silva, a family friend who organized the Gofundme, was touched by the public response.

“The community has rallied. Numbers added up quickly in the initial first days, with donations steady since the (Gofundme) was set up,” she said. “Being paramedics in different counties helped to propel the response, I'm sure. It was such an overwhelming experience to sit back and watch.

“I've been friends with Sarah since high school, and others in our friend group have known Sarah since elementary days. It was a huge relief to bring them home after not knowing if Sarah was going to make it.”

Sidelnyk's pain is being well managed, which it “wasn't at all while in Costa Rica,” Da Silva said. The hope is she can be released from hospital in the coming days.

Henderson is resting at home and doing well, she added. “Her vision is still unsteady and she tires out easily, but otherwise all signs are positive.”

The online fundraiser had raised more than $30,000 toward its $35,000 goal as of Thursday.