Garrett Bell and his mother, Linda Lowery
In 2008, Garrett Bell was a fourth-year history student at Trent University. He and a couple of friends were longboarding one evening, when Garrett was hit from behind by a van. His head smashed the windshield, and he was thrown 48 feet, sustaining a Catastrophic Brain Injury. His mother, Linda Lowery, has told the story of getting the call that night more times than she can count, and still regularly gets choked up.
“He is my only child. Getting that call was so very traumatic. My husband and I got in the car terrified thinking about what we would encounter. We found out that his injuries were so serious they were going to send him by Ornge air ambulance to Toronto, not knowing at the time if there would be a trauma hospital that could take him. That’s when I realized how serious this was.”
It turns out that one good piece of news on an otherwise terrible day was that St. Michael’s Hospital was able to take Garrett. St. Michael’s is a world-class trauma centre, with survival rates that are among the top in North America. Garrett had a left frontal parietal epidural hematoma—basically a life-threatening blood clot between the skull and the brain. Dr. Howard Ginsberg urgently operated to evacuate the blood clot, saving his life.
Post-surgery, Garrett was in the ICU for 48 days, and that was just the start. He spent a total of five and a half years in rehab learning to stand, walk, read and use the right side of his body again. It was a long, challenging and ultimately successful journey back to health, but Linda says he only got the chance to take that journey thanks to Dr. Ginsberg and the staff at St. Michael’s.
“The extraordinary surgical skill of Dr Ginsberg, and the incredible care he received afterwards from everyone—doctors, nurses, cleaning staff and rehab workers—is why I have my son with me today.”
In 2015, Linda, her husband Ted, and Garrett started Heads Up! Durham, a community mobilization focused on Traumatic Brain Injury awareness and prevention. Through the years Garrett and Linda have done numerous speaking engagements together.
They have also never forgotten the care they received at St. Michael’s. In 2010, they organized a fundraising dance for the hospital and donated $3,400. In December 2023, to mark the 15th anniversary of Garrett’s healing journey, Linda and Ted donated again through the ‘St. Michael’s Foundation Thank Your Healthcare Champions’ program.
“The entire time we were there, we felt so supported and cared for. It made such a difference at a time when we needed that support. We will always be so very grateful.”
Donate to St. Michael's Foundation.
