Christmas Lights
Submitted by Russ Brown
Let me tell you the story Audrey White. This young girl had come to Toronto from Sydney Australia for a Harrington Rod operation. The purpose of this operation is to straighten the spine curved by scoliosis. The operation was not available at the time in Australia and was done only at The Hospital for Sick Children ("Sick Kid's") in Toronto where my wife was head nurse in the P.A.R. After the operation Audrey was encased in a full body cast and transferred to St. John's Convalescence Hospital where she would remain for many weeks.
I was in the mess and telling some of the fellows about this young girl and her mother having traveled from Australia for surgery and how she was now cooped up in hospital, how she had never seen snow or Christmas lights, and that my wife was so concerned about her.
I hadn't noticed that the Group Captain was seated nearby listening to me. The GC went to the phone and very quickly arrangements were made for Audrey and her mother to have an evening in one of our ambulances touring the sights of Toronto, viewing the Christmas lights, and sampling snow for the very first time!
Over the next few months this treat was repeated several times and many visits were made to St. John's to help Audrey and her mother cope with being so far from home. The Australians at home were made aware of these kindnesses courtesy of the RCAF and 400 squadron.
Audrey had a very successful outcome and is living in Sydney where she enjoys life as a wife, mother and grandmother.
RETURN TO: SQUADRON HISTORY OVERVIEW
