Nova Scotia/Nunavut Command of The Royal Canadian Legion www.ns.legion.ca 43 “Can everyone please take your seats? We're about to begin.” Trevor survived the attack, and was safely moved to Germany, but his chances of recovery were still heartbreakingly low. The axe had done horrific damage to his brain. He was in a coma, and it was doubtful that he would ever wake up. Doctor's warned his fiancée, Debbie, that even if he did, he would likely be in a vegetative state for the rest of his life... As the speeches get underway at SFU, I catch a glimpse of Trevor's empty wheelchair behind a thick black curtain at the rear of the stage, and reflect on how inspiring it can be when doctors are proven wrong. Most of the speeches are about what you'd expect. Each speaker takes their turn at the podium and pays scrupulous attention to thanking all those in attendance while giving short descriptions of their involvement with the project. Surrey Mayor Linda Hepner speaks, then the Associate Vice-President of Research at SFU, Norbert Haunerland, then Michael Marchbank, CEO of Fraser Health, then Mark Tremblay, President of BC/Yukon Command of the Royal Canadian Legion. I can sense the crowd's growing impatience. I feel it myself. The speeches are short, but there are a lot of them—more than I would have expected. It's a very visible demonstration of how many different organizations have become involved in Trevor's story. The last to speak is Dr. Ryan D'Arcy, cochair of Innovation Boulevard and the lead neurosurgeon on Project Iron Soldier. His speech is about hope. Trevor proved his doctors wrong. He came out of the coma, and over long months and years taught himself to smile and to speak again. Slowly, he began to rebuild his life. The attack had catastrophically damaged the part of his brain that controls motor-function, but had left his thought and cognition centers unscathed. Trevor's recovery was nothing short of miraculous, but despite this, he was still hemmed in by limitations. Doctors made it clear that he would never walk again. Conventional wisdom, they told him, dictates that after six months a brain-injured person couldn’t expect to see further improvements to their condition. However, Dr. D'Arcy and his team hypothesized that, even six years after the fact, the brain could still be taught to re-wire itself through a process of visualization and physical movement. Trevor was the perfect candidate to put this theory to the test. Together, he and Dr. D'Arcy hatched a plan to re-make him as the “Iron Soldier.” Together, they set out to prove that a brain-injured person could actually walk again. Finally, the moment of truth comes. Ayoung girl behind me gives Dr. D'Arcy the thumbs up, signaling that all is ready. A hush falls over the crowd as Dr. D'Arcy steps back. The thick black curtain, which had provided the backdrop to all Iron Soldier Continued . . . continued....
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