![]() "I don't think I'll ever get over this."įor all the challenges she faces, Smith said the impact on her children is what truly upsets her. Smith's younger grandchildren have also asked when her legs will grow back and when she will be out of the wheelchair, the family said.Īsked whether the family is angry about the attack or at the accused, Michael Smith said they haven't dwelled on that aspect. "She was so independent before," Copsey said. Still, it's hard to see Smith ask for help, her daughter said. but we're glad that we were able to communicate with her and hear her talk again." After they removed her breathing tube, she was finally able to speak. It took weeks for Beverly Smith to be alert again, her son said. "It was great to see that she was alive, but so many injuries." With no knowledge of the extent of his mother's injuries, Smith walked into the room where she and other victims were being treated. The officers told Smith his mother had just come out of surgery and took him to Sunnybrook Hospital, where he had to confirm her identity because her wallet went missing in the attack, he said. Then police arrived at his home around 5:30 p.m. "I was instantly worried."Ĭalls and emails to his mother went unanswered, he said. "The first images I saw were people being interviewed in front of my mom's condo," he said. When Michael Smith saw news of the attack on his phone, he didn't think much of it, but turned on the TV to get more details, he said. Smith has the support of family including son Michael Smith and daughter Ally Copsey. Her daughter, Ally Copsey, was teaching at a high school in Newmarket, Ont. Her son, Michael Smith, 44, was at home on his patio having a beer while a friend fixed his sink. They learned Smith was walking from her condo to the North York Central Library to return books and pick up a copy of The Handmaid's Tale when she was struck while crossing the street. ![]() Though Smith recalls little about the incident - she has foggy memories of a phone booth, though there was none at the site - her children said every detail of that day is seared in their minds. Smith's family has also set up an online fundraiser to help cover the costs of her care and of making their homes wheelchair accessible ahead of her return, which is scheduled for September.Īnd while there has been an outpouring of support from friends and strangers alike, Smith's family worries her story will be forgotten as the city begins to move on. The money is set to be disbursed over the following month. The site of the crash was transformed into a monument to public mourning as residents left flowers and cards that were later cleared away in anticipation of a permanent memorial.Ī fund in support of the victims has raised $3.4 million, and will continue to collect donations until the end of August. Accused in van attack charged with 3 more counts of attempted murder.'They are now a part of us': Makeshift memorial for Toronto van attack victims comes down.Toronto van attack banner tribute stitched together with hope and love.Fund for victims raises $3.4MĪlek Minassian, 25, was charged with 10 counts of first-degree murder and 16 counts of attempted murder. Some predicted the city would be forever changed. There's nothing there."įifteen others were wounded in the brazen daytime attack that made international headlines and left Toronto reeling with grief. "I keep thinking they're there, but they're not. The grandmother of five has also been experiencing phantom pains, which she described as feeling like she is wearing too-tight shoes and socks. "Like if I see somebody dancing or jumping, I think, 'I can't do that anymore.'" "It hasn't really hit me, only certain things," she told The Canadian Press in a recent interview at the Toronto hospital where she continues to recover. She was also told she had suffered some brain damage, which her family believes may be to blame for her vague recollections. Smith, a retired teacher and librarian, awoke from emergency surgery to learn doctors had amputated her legs to save her life. ![]() Smith, 81, is adapting to life in a wheelchair as she works to regain the independence she enjoyed before the devastating incident. ![]() Beverly Smith has only hazy memories of the van attack that killed 10 people and left her broken and bleeding on a north Toronto sidewalk in April. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |