HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1989-11-28, Page 3FJ
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FROM GRIT
TO GOLD
IT ALL TAKES TIME Jan Heinmiller of Wingham helps son David at home with Ms strengthen-
' Mg exercises. David suffered severe head injuries in a car crash this summer and has been recovering
slowly, although steadily.
Wingham youth is making
long climb back from injury
By Margaret Stapleton
On the night of July 30, Harvey
and Jan Heinmiller of Wingham
received the telephone call that all
parents dread — their son David
had been seriously injured in a car
crash and was being transferred to
a London hospital.
Nothing could have prepa
them for that fateful call or for
months since as David has stru
gled back from severe head inju
and virtually learned how to fun
tion all over again.
Those months have been marked
with triumphs and setbacks, h
and quiet moments of despair. B
through it all, the Heinmillers nev
have given up on their son and his
ability to recover. That constant
support has arguably been the key
to David's recovery.
Jan.11;Ieinmiller says she and her
husband * Harvey, magi ager "of-the
local Zehrs store, were awakened
by the telephone on the night of
Sunday, July 30.
A nurse was calling from Wing -
ham and District Hospital. She told
Mrs. Heinmiller that they suspected
David had been in a car accident —
a serious car accident — and asked
them to come to the hospital imme-
diately.
When the Heinmillers arrived at
the hospital, they scarcely recog-
nized 19 -year-old Dave: he was in
the throws of convulsions as he was
being prepared for transport to
London.
While a doctor rode with David
in the ambulance to University
Hospital, a friend drove the Hein -
millers and son Donnie' to London,
the longest trip Mrs. Heinmiller
ever remembers.
Once they arrived at the hospital,
they were not able to speak to any
doctors about David's condition for
almost an hour as he was being sta-
bilized and monitored. Near 7 a.m.,
he was moved to intensive care.
When family members did get a
hance to speak to the doctor, they
earned that David was comatose.
He still was having seizures, his
emperature was dangerously high
nd he was partially paralyzed.
The doctors made no promises --
hat Dave would survive, that he
ever would emerge from the coma
r that he would not be paralyzed.
The Heinmillers just sat and waited
nd the minutes dragged into hours
nd the hours into days.
The only thirf that sustained
hem were their 10 -minute visits
th David each hour. "There was
omebody in there every hour,"
recalls Mrs. Heinmiller now. "We
st seemed to live for those 10-
minute periods.''
They were encouraged to' talk to'
ave and touch him, even though
was in a coma, giving him con-
tain reminders of their love Sister
hie brought a teddy bear and
17orinie brought Dave's walkman
ead-set and favorite tapes. '
The doctors and nurses were ter-
fic to answer the Heinmillers'
`tions and there to Iend sup -
rt, as was.a hospital social Work-
i�' who was assigned to their case.
• After four. days had elapsed, the
doctors cautiously told the Hein
millers tint told had . ssed. the,
�tita pont. }le would . ttlF
that liight rt
ea. I( .he did�t
be lifting and his comatose state
lightning'.
After two weeks in London, Mr.
Heinmiller returned to work remtic
and Donnie to their jobs in town
and the family resumed some sem-
blance of normalcy. Mrs. Heinmiller
remained in London, visiting Dave
red at every opportunity She talked to
the him, touched him and bombarded
g- him with love and attention, never
ries knowing at what point she might
C- break through.
In late August, she was
ho
®ere was some
er body in there every
hour. We just seemed
to live for those 10-
minute periods."
c
1
t
a
t
•o
a
a
t
wi
s
ju
he
s
Jen
ij "
hue
s
im
r.• ,p
ould be ad and tedio g
tl Ilk la n fie t [dyles"
,Mrs. Winn -inlet �`i atlenta `
t' s• n tht lir and tecoenI .e t1�
mon next to th'em." Mutt t
►'e' er; throe h it all, 'the time.
jtr filer
',started tarte to see small'
pe. David's temper- torts
ted the eelaureg, achoolt`
ratysis appeared to itittittri
approached with the possibility of
moving David back to hospital in
Wingham. At first, she admits to
being terrified. Many questions
raced through her mind: Can they
handle Dave? Will he get the atten-
tion he needs?
She visited William Woodley,
director of nursing at the hospital.
He assured her that the local hospi-
tal could indeed handle David's
case and the wheels were put in
motion immediately for an inten-
sive rehabilitation program.
David returned to Wingham on
Sept. 6 and any doubts Mrs. Hein -
miller might have had about the
level of care quickly disappeared.
The doctors, nurses, orderlies,
ambulance attendants and cleaning
staff — virtually every part of the
hospital — took a special interest in
the young man and his recovery It
was, in Mrs. Heinmiller's words,
"a real team effort'`.
Soon David began to make real
progress. He answered simple
questions with a "yes" or "no",
started to learn how to walk all
over again and eat solid food. Mrs.
Heinmiller and the family contin-
ued their program of constant stim-
ulation and reinforcement, spend -
"Real life is not like
the moves. Patients
don't open their eyes
and recognize °the per-
son next to them."
ing as much..of the day as possible
with David, even bringing, him
home occasionally.
David has continued to improve
and last Wednesday, almost four
months after his accident, he tame
home.
He has a longway.te go before
he is able to fwiction on hiS own,
but many agree that David's
progress has been nothing abort of
a miracle and attribute much Of it to
constatat? 1,01,,e and support of his
fandly'atl f,l `ends. •.,
David rientlyiia voitihm. to go
hi Parkry abiliitta+
lion dent �i e Ole Itiinn, ,he.
attends ph 16it ► ° ® , ; tial -
al therapyr to
accident that changed his life and
doesn't want to, but his mother
remains philosophical. If David
loses a year out of his life, it really
will make no difference. After ali,
he's still young.
Now the family is readjusting to
functioning as a unit. It will be try-
ing at times over the next few
months, Mrs. Heinmiller knows
that, but she looks forward to a
happy Christmas this year, know-
ing that the family is together'and
future is looking brighter.
Blyth man fined
for polluting
iminommaiminimmi
Follow CMA Awards
nominee
Ricky Van Shelton's
road to success on
RICKY VAN SHELTON:
FROM GRIT TO GOLD
Saturday, November 25
9:00 p.m.
I
The Nation's Top Walleye
Anglers Compete for
First Honors.
IN -FISHERMAN•
WALLEYE TOURNAMENT
OF CHAMPIONS
Thursday, November 23
10:30 a.m.
A Blyth-area�rrtan has been found
guilty of pollutin a stream and
fined $1,250.
Richard Konarski of RR 1, Blyth,
appeared in Stratford court last Fri-
day charged with impairing the
quality of a water course. Mr.
Konarski, a manure spreading con-
tractor, was charged after manure
run-off polluted a Logan Township
stream in Perth County earlier this
year.
He pleaded guilty to the charge.
TRLLITJM ....
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