Unsung Hero:
a person who makes a substantive yet unrecognized contribution; a person whose bravery is unknown or unacknowledged
Meghan Vandeputte, my cousin and dear friend, is 24 years old and was involved in a tragic, life-changing accident earlier this year. Meg fell four stories from a balcony and somehow, by the grace of God, managed to survive. Rushed to Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto, she underwent multiple life-saving surgeries and remained there for months of complicated recovery from injury to her spinal cord. Meg spent her 24th birthday hooked up to a ventilator, being fed through a tube, and was unable even to speak for the first three months. During the many months she spent in critical and intensive care, she received exceptional care from her doctors and nurses.
Still, as a consequence of her injuries, Meg has been rendered a quadriplegic and will be confined to an electric wheelchair. Currently, she is residing at Lyndhurst rehabilitation centre until her release date sometime this September. Once released, she will need to move home to be cared for by her parents, Susan and Frank Vandeputte.
Susan is such a dedicated mother. Since the accident, she has hardly left Meg’s side, essentially living away from home to be nearby the hospital. When Meg could not speak in the earliest part of her recovery, Susan somehow managed to learn how to read her lips. Frank is with her three to four days a week, even as he continues to work full time. The sad reality is that time and money are both luxuries in very short supply. In so many ways, they are a truly ordinary, small town Canadian family facing extraordinary challenges.
In anticipation of Meg’s return home, their house will need to be made completely wheelchair accessible, requiring the construction of ramps. It will be especially important for her bedroom, the bathroom, and the kitchen to be fully wheelchair accessible. Funds will also be needed for accessible transportation. Unfortunately there is no coverage for these expenses. Our extended family has really rallied behind Meg. Just in the past few weeks, we’ve even held yard and bake sales to raise funds for her. We all feel incredibly proud of the efforts her recovery requires of her each and every day and hope this fundraising campaign will help to ease Meg’s return home by lessening the incredible financial struggle (and stress) they will face.
Meghan and her best friend Caylee at their prom.
"Never believe that a few caring people can’t change the world. For, indeed, that’s all who ever have".
— Margaret Mead
Meghan's first day at the hospital cafeteria.
"What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead"
— Nelson Mandela
"I’ve learned that you shouldn’t go through life with a catchers mitt on both hands. You need to be able to throw something back".
— Maya Angelou
Meghan,
The heart of her mother,
The will and determination of her father,
The strength of her grandmother,
and the soul of a warrior.
These virtues made Meghan the person she is today!
She fought her way back to us from almost certain death because of these virtues.
Please help us make a difference in the life of our unsung hero, Meghan.
No contribution or act of kindness is too small.
We thank you from the bottom of our hearts.