To the Editor

RE: Survivor to share inspiring story at CFUW

I just read your amazing article on Cyndi. I wanted to tell you a story about her and how she helped our family.
Four years ago my son developed sepsis due to a disease. He ended up at South Lake Regional Hospital in Newmarket. He was given a five per cent chance of living. In the end he too lost his hands and feet to the disease. While we were there the hospital publication did a story on Cyndi and the nurses in ICU and all over the hospital spoke to us about her. They tried to give us hope. When my son awoke from his coma after over two weeks I found him in his room with Cyndi’s photo and article proudly displayed.

As you can imagine we were at our wits end. My brother got in touch with Cyndi and she immediately came to see us. I cried on her shoulder and she listened and as parents she gave us so much hope. She then visited our son and he was able to see from her that life goes on. My son is a priest with his church and he and Cyndi bonded over their faith and it is that faith that has kept them strong. He went on to West Park for rehab staying in the same room as her and today he lives a full life. But Cyndi is still a part of our lives and I will always be indebted to her for that hope that she gave us at a time when we felt we didn’t have any.
I wanted you to know about this part of her – it’s the part she doesn’t mention – but it changed our lives.

Marion Samler