Carol Enns moved to VGH, starts rehabilitation
By Arlen MacLaine
Carol Enns, victim of a car crash near the end of June, has been stabilized and transferred to VGH hospital in Vancouver. The move comes earlier than anticipated, but although there has been improvement in her condition, she now faces a long and painful rehabilitation.
Details of the crash and fundraising effort can be found here. Now that she is back in Canada, Enns’ road to recovery can begin.
“This really is a turning point, now that she is back in Canada,” said Lorne Reiter, Chair of Trustees for the Eagles club. “Although the beginning of her rehabilitation is a good step forward, it is going to be extremely painful for Carol, as she starts to recognize the extent of the damage that has been done.”
The physical rehabilitation could take up to a year, and the mental rehabilitation could take a lot longer. Though the future is uncertain, Carol maintains a ‘plan for the worst, hope for the best’ mentality. Her hospital bills in Spokane amounted to over half a million dollars. This money will most likely be covered by litigation based on the results of a police investigation. The family is very grateful for the care provided by Sacred Heart Hospital in Spokane.
Carol’s niece, Amy, was driving the car at the time of the accident. She suffered a broken arm and ankle, and sustained ligament damage. She is back at home and and recovering.
The fundraising effort has been very successful so far, but there is a need for continued support. “Our fundraising effort is not aimed at trying to take a bite out of the hospital expenses, our goal is family support,” said Reiter. Enns’ partner Chuck is going to be flying back and forth from Rossland to Vancouver, on hopefully, a weekly basis. Her daughter Hannah is also going to be in Vancouver, by her mother’s side on a regular basis. This is the aim of the local fundraising effort, to make flights and hotels affordable for Carol’s support network.
The amount of support already received from the community has been astonishing. “So far, we’ve raised about six thousand dollars,” said Reiter. “Also, cheques have come in from as far away as Ontario, as well as Edmonton, Alberta. So the word is getting out there.”
There is more planned in the way of fundraisers. The Rossland Eagle Riders are sponsoring a garage sale planned for Saturday July 27 from 8am-4pm, across from the OK Car wash in Trail, along Old Waneta Road. The Eagles Club will host an event on August 15, and the talent will be finalized in the coming days. There is also a plan to have a family day fundraiser that will take place tentatively the week after Golden City Days.
“There is still more in the works, and we’re going to show Carol just what community support means,” said Reiter.
