Giving Back to the Care That Saved His Life

Colin’s life changed in an instant.

In his early twenties, two devastating car crashes just months apart caused multiple injuries and left him paralyzed from the chest down. The journey that followed wasn’t just recovery, but finding a new way forward.

Today, at 36, Colin is living with complete kidney failure and relies on dialysis every single night.

If you ask him what defines his story, he won’t start with hardship. He’ll start with the care that kept him here.

“I’m surprised I’m still around after all this stuff,” he said candidly. “Lakeridge Health saved my life, more than once.”

After becoming paralyzed, Colin faced a series of serious medical challenges. Severe pressure wounds once left him fighting infection so deep doctors weren’t sure he would recover. At one point, he became septic.

But with years of dedicated care including support from Lakeridge Health specialists in infectious diseases, he healed.

Then came another critical moment.

During the height of the pandemic, Colin was rushed to the Oshawa Hospital unconscious. His kidneys had failed. Fluid had built up in his body to the point that it began affecting his lungs, and even his brain.

“When I woke up, I didn’t even know my name for two days,” he recalls.

Emergency dialysis saved his life.

Today, Colin manages his condition with nightly home dialysis. It’s a demanding, nine-hour process that requires precision, discipline, and resilience. With support from the hospital’s dialysis team, he’s able to live independently, something he really values.

“They’re actually great with people in wheelchairs,” he explains. “They know the complications that come with paralysis.”

That experience matters. Navigating the health system with a disability can be challenging, but at the Oshawa Hospital, Colin found a team that not only understood his needs but anticipated them.

From emergency interventions to long-term dialysis care, the hospital became a constant in his life.

“They know me quite well in the emergency room,” he added with a smile.

Paralysis didn’t take away everything Colin loves. It just changed how he does it. A former motocross rider, he designed and built a customized motorcycle that allowed him to ride again.

“I told the doctor, I don’t care as long as I can ride my bike,” he said when faced with the reality he may never walk again.

It’s more than a hobby. It’s a symbol of how he continues to push forward on his own terms.

Colin didn’t plan to become a donor. But when he saw a post online about fundraising for a new CT scanner in Oshawa, something clicked.

His decision was immediate. Colin realized that a small act of giving would have a big impact. This equipment would directly support the hospital that had cared for him for years,

Colin knows firsthand how critical access to diagnostic imaging can be, and how long the wait times can be. “People are having to wait three to six months just to get a scan.”

For someone with complex health needs, those delays can be life-altering. His gift was a way to ensure others can get the care they need when they need it.

Colin’s journey is a powerful reminder of what your donations can mean.

Because of the overwhelming generosity of our community, the new replacement CT scanner is being installed this Spring.

 “You don’t think something like this is going to happen to you,” he says. “If you can give a little to help the people like me who rely on the Hospital, it’s a blessing.”