Hotel Dieu Shaver Foundation kicks-off their Snowflakes & Angels Christmas Campaign with help from former patient who shares her incredible journey to rehabilitation.

Hotel Dieu Shaver Foundation kicked-off their Snowflakes & Angels Christmas Campaign last week (November 17) with an intimate tree lighting ceremony. Sara Kovac, former patient, was joined by her family as she “flipped the switch” that illuminated the tree and the grounds of Hotel Dieu Shaver.

As a professional volleyball player, who represented Canada in the Pan Am Games and competed professionally in Europe until 2021, 24 year old Sara Kovac was in the best shape of her life. But everything changed in April 2022 when she started experiencing debilitating headaches, vomiting and numbness. She was diagnosed with Cavernous Malformations, which caused a brain bleed, and ended up in the ICU, requiring several procedures to drain fluid from her brain.

Over the next month she continued to deteriorate very quickly – she spent weeks in the ICU with a tracheotomy and stomach tube… she could no longer swallow… she could barely move.

When Sara was transferred to Hotel Dieu Shaver (HDS) in July 2022, she was unable to move or even sit up, she still had a feeding tube and was constantly throwing up. It was during the early days of her stay when a health care aid told her “Miracles happen at Hotel Dieu Shaver.”

… she definitely needed that miracle.

Sara’s activities for the first week at HDS were simple bed exercises as they figured out her medications and extreme nausea. She celebrated her first accomplishment by sitting on the side of the bed, all by herself, for 26 seconds! Slowly and surely she started getting stronger and those 26 seconds grew to 5 minutes.

Throughout her journey, she was constantly reminded to be kind to herself and to be patient. On the days she was feeling frustrated and down her therapists allowed her the space to feel it and talk about it. “I knew I wasn’t going to get 100% better tomorrow, but I would try my best to get a little bit better every day.”

Sara was familiar with physiotherapy because of her years playing volleyball, but this was very different. “I was dealing with a brain injury and had to recognize that I may never fully recover. I had to accept where I was in my recovery each day – at least I was breathing.”

Over the summer her inpatient therapy was very intense, and she had to relearn to walk – something she never thought she would have to do, especially at 24 years old.  “My therapy team would get excited anytime I accomplished anything”.

“It was so nice to not only have my friends and family behind my back, but to have everyone at HDS behind me too”.

In September Sara was discharged home using a walker, where she continued with outpatient therapy to improve her balance, endurance and strength. Today, Sara is walking on her own!

Sara is happy to share her incredible journey with Hotel Dieu Shaver Foundation donors, and the community, as she wants to show people how their support truly changes people’s lives. When she speaks about her time at HDS, she states “I am a living testament that miracles do happen.”

Sara is just one of the hundreds of patients who have received specialized care and rehabilitation at HDS this past year. Many who have had to rebuild their lives after a life-changing event, devastating disease, challenging injury, or even recovering from COVID-19.

We have illuminated the grounds of Hotel Dieu Shaver to shine a light on the exemplary care being provided to our patients and their loved ones. Each donation made to the Snowflakes & Angels Campaign honours or remembers a loved one, with a light illuminated on the Hotel Dieu Shaver grounds. These sparkling, bright lights represent the love of a community who comes together during this special season to make a difference in the lives of our patients.

Ensuring that Hotel Dieu Shaver is well equipped with the most up-to-date tools and services is something we all have a hand in. Donations received from the Snowflakes & Angels Christmas Campaign fund the purchase of priority patient care equipment that is not funded by the government. Funds raised this year will support the purchase of: medication carts, patient beds and rehabilitation needs.

Community members are invited to make a donation to the Snowflakes & Angels Christmas Campaign in honour or celebration of an Angel in their life. Donations can be made by visiting www.Foundation.HotelDieuShaver.org or calling 905-378-HDSF (4373). Donations of $50 or more, received on or before January 6th, will be published in the newspaper on January 14th.

Hotel Dieu Shaver Health and Rehabilitation Foundation raises and manages funds for patient-care equipment, education, specialty programs, and improvements to treatment areas to support exemplary patient care at Hotel Dieu Shaver, Niagara’s Only Rehabilitation Hospital.

PHOTO:

1. (Sara_atHDS) – Sara at Hotel Dieu Shaver spending time outside with her father in mid-July 2022.
2. (Sara_Therapy) – Sara working with Kaitlyn Jorritsma, Rehab Assistant, as part of her out-patient Therapy.
3. (Sara_HDS) – Sara Kovac, now walking on her own!

Photo Credit:

Photo 1: Photo supplied by Sara Kovac