‘Thank you for letting a little girl grow up’ – Kate’s story

It was September 25th, 1993. I was four years old when I was in a serious motor vehicle accident just outside Perth, Ontario. I was stabilized in Perth before I was flown to CHEO.  

At the time of my accident, CHEO was on a scheduled shutdown to modify power supply, no patients were to be coming through the emergency room department. The trauma team was called and were waiting for me to arrive. I was taken into neurosurgery over at Ottawa General due to power supply shortage at CHEO in the operating room.  The doctor at the time was Dr. Kassam, who tended to my substantial injuries of my skull and brain. He also needed to clean out any remaining glass fragments. In addition, I received a blood transfusion.

Once Dr. Kassam completed his surgery the plastic surgeon Dr. Duncan at the time tended to the 10cm laceration to the left side of my face.  It took approximately 3 hours for surgery to be completed. Subsequent to surgery I was put in an induced coma.  My parents were informed that I scored a 8 on the Glasgow Coma Scale for a severe brain injury.  I also received a fractured left clavicle and fractured ossicles of the left ear. The first 72 hours on the ICU floor were critical for brain swelling to occur, so I had a intracranial pressure monitor attached to my head to monitor any changes.  

While I was in recovery at CHEO, my parents stayed at the Ronald McDonald house and/or by my bedside. After a week and a half I was released to go home, on my road to recovery, with many more hospital visits, tests, surgeries to come in the immediate future. Without Perth and Smith Falls District hospital and CHEO’s trauma team, my outcome would have been different.  These amazing doctors and nurses were quick and exceptionally professional at what needed to be done given the rapidly evolving and chaotic situation.  

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